Honduras became the 50th country to sanction the UN’s international treaty on banning nuclear weapons. The treaty that prohibits the use, development, manufacture, testing, storage, positioning, and making threats of using nuclear weapons, was proposed by the UN General Assembly in 2017, with the support of 122 countries. Eighty-four states have signed it so far, and the 75th anniversary of Japan’s nuclear bombings earlier in August saw many of those come forward to ratify the treaty.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres called it “the culmination of a worldwide movement to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.” The treaty serves as a step towards the betterment of the world in terms of reducing violent actions. “It represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations” he added.
The President of the International Committee of Red Cross, Peter Maurer, said there indeed is a promise for a safer future, and this certainly is a “victory for humanity.”
Beatrice Fihn, executive director of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a coalition that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for its vital role in bringing the treaty to actualization, called the significant moment “ a new chapter for nuclear disarmament.”
Whilst the powerful nuclear states (United States, France, Britain, Russia and China) have yet to sign the treaty; there is hope that the ongoing activism will bring more results as it has now when everyone thought it was an impossible mission
11 Comments