Historic United Nations Conference Adopts a Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons
The second session of the United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination, was held in New York from June 15 to July 7. On July 7, the final day of the conference, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted by a vote of 122 in favour, to one against, with one abstention, making it the first multilateral legally binding instrument for nuclear disarmament. The treaty mentions in the preamble “the unacceptable suffering of and harm caused to the victims of the use of nuclear weapons (hibakusha), as well as of those affected by the testing of nuclear weapons” and prohibits a full range of nuclear-weapon-related activities, such as undertaking to develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, as well as the use of, or threat to use, these weapons.
The SGI submitted the second working paper titled “Comments and Proposals for the Draft Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” prior to the second session of the conference, circulated as A/CONF.229/2017/NGO/WP.25. During the negotiations, the SGI representatives made statements which put forward proposals to include reference to international human rights law, in particular the right to life, and to strengthen the reference to disarmament education and to highlight the role of women in promoting peace and security. These points have now been reflected in the newly-adopted treaty.
The SGI also issued a statement applauding and welcoming the adoption of the treaty in the name of Hirotsugu Terasaki, Director General of Peace and Global Issues. It states that “the existence of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat to the right to life of both the individual and humankind as a whole. For this reason, their total elimination is a desire shared by all people.” It also notes the need to make the significance of the treaty understood and to ensure broad and solid support going forward, as well as to encourage grassroots action towards the realization of a world free from nuclear weapons.
Faith communities concerned about nuclear weapons – organizations and individuals from diverse faith traditions including the SGI, World Council of Churches (WCC) and Pax Christi International (PCI) – have also released statements in support of the adoption of the treaty.
The treaty will be opened for signatures from September 20 and enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by 50 nations.
