Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

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Summary:

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) includes a comprehensive set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities. It was adopted by the TPNW Conference on 7 July 2017 and entered into force on 22 January 2021. It is also known as the Ban Treaty.

Further information:

The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) decided by Resolution 71/258 to convene in 2017 a Conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. This Conference took place in March, June and July 2017.

The TPNW in includes undertakings not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The Treaty also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and the provision of assistance to any State in the conduct of prohibited activities. States parties are obliged to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited under the TPNW undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control. The Treaty also obliges States parties to provide adequate assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons, as well as to take necessary and appropriate measure of environmental remediation in areas under its jurisdiction or control contaminated as a result of activities related to the testing or use of nuclear weapons.

This Treaty was adopted by the Conference on 7 July 2017, and opened for signature on 20 September. Following the deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification or accession of the Treaty on 24 October 2020, the TPNW entered into force on 22 January 2021.

Related Links
Commentary and Analysis
Wikipedia: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Prohibition_of_Nuclear_Weapons
EPRS: Briefing, January 2017: A Nuclear Ban Treaty: Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2017)595880
Oxford University: Politics Blog, 08/03/2017: Nuclear Weapons and the Dialect of Universalism: The UN Convenes to Ban the Bomb https://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/nuclear-weapons-dialectic-universalism-un-convenes-ban-bomb/
Brookings Institution: Blog, 12/04/2017: Big debates at U.N. nuclear weapons ban treaty negotiations https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2017/04/12/big-debates-at-u-n-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty-negotiations/
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Brief, May 2017: The Nuclear Ban Treaty: What Would Follow? https://carnegieendowment.org/files/CP_309_Brief_Perkovich_Nuclear_Treaty.pdf
ELN: Policy Brief, July 2017: A Balancing Act: NATO States and the Nuclear Ban Treaty https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/policy-brief/a-balancing-act/
IAI: Commentary No. 15, September 2017: The UN Nuclear Ban Treaty and the NPT: Challenges for Nuclear Disarmament https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/un-nuclear-ban-treaty-and-npt-challenges-nuclear-disarmament
Euro|topics, October 2017: How realistic is the fight for a nuclear ban? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/187340/
ELN: Policy Brief, March 2018: Ban the Bomb? Or Bomb the Ban? https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/policy-brief/ban-the-bomb-or-bomb-the-ban/
ELN: Commentary, 29/03/2018: Whether you like it or not, the Nuclear Ban Treaty is here to stay: a reply to Brad Roberts https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/commentary/whether-you-like-it-or-not-the-nuclear-ban-treaty-is-here-to-stay-a-reply-to-brad-roberts/
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Events, 12/03/2019: What Effects Will the Ban Treaty Have Between Now and 2030? https://carnegieeurope.eu/2019/03/12/what-effects-will-ban-treaty-have-between-now-and-2030-pub-78876
Arms Control Association: Factsheets, October 2020: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons At A Glance https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/nuclearprohibition
SIPRI: Commentary, 26/10/2020: The 50th ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://www.sipri.org/commentary/expert-comment/2020/50th-ratification-treaty-prohibition-nuclear-weapons
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Events, 13/11/2020: The UN Nuclear Ban Treaty Enters Into Force in January: Then What? https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/11/13/un-nuclear-ban-treaty-enters-into-force-in-january-then-what-event-7459
UK Parliament: House of Commons Library: Research Briefing No. 7986, November 2020: Negotiating a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7986/
IISS: Military Balance Blog, 20/11/2020: A nuclear-ban treaty: a question of ideals and pragmatism? https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2020/11/nuclear-ban-treaty-tpnw
ELN: Commentary, 27/11/2020: The nuclear ban treaty is coming into force. So what? https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/commentary/the-nuclear-ban-treaty-is-coming-into-force-so-what/
International Committee of the Red Cross: Factsheets, January 2021: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://www.icrc.org/en/document/2017-treaty-prohibition-nuclear-weapons
The Local (Norway), 19/01/2021: Why hasn't peace-loving Norway signed up to UN nuclear weapons ban? https://www.thelocal.no/20210119/why-hasnt-peace-loving-norway-sign-up-to-un-nuclear-weapons-ban
EPRS: Briefing, January 2021: Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons ─ The 'Ban Treaty' https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2018)614664
The Conversation, 21/01/2021: The nuclear weapons ban treaty is groundbreaking, even if the nuclear powers haven’t signed https://theconversation.com/the-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty-is-groundbreaking-even-if-the-nuclear-powers-havent-signed-153197
EurActiv: Opinion, 22/01/2021: A new dawn for nuclear disarmament, a new voice needed for the EU https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/opinion/a-new-dawn-for-nuclear-disarmament-a-new-voice-needed-for-the-eu/

News
The Guardian, 17/07/2017: Treaty banning nuclear weapons approved at UN https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/07/treaty-banning-nuclear-weapons-approved-un
The Guardian, 06/10/2017: Nobel peace prize winner rebukes Trump over nuclear standoff https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/06/anti-nuclear-campaign-group-ican-wins-nobel-peace-prize
Associated Press, 12/07/2019: Sweden says it won’t sign UN nuclear ban treaty https://apnews.com/article/40a5b0e8d19d415f942786b0c8d647d7
The Local (Sweden), 12/07/2019: Sweden declines to sign UN nuclear ban treaty https://www.thelocal.se/20190712/sweden-declines-to-sign-un-nuclear-treaty
Euronews, 25/10/2020: UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons to come into force after 50th signatory https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/25/un-treaty-to-ban-nuclear-weapons-to-come-into-force-after-50th-signatory
The Independent (UK), 25/10/2020: UN: Nuclear weapons ban treaty to enter into force https://www.independent.co.uk/news/un-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty-to-enter-into-force-weapons-antonio-guterres-un-treaty-weapons-b1297675.html
BBC News, 25/10/2020: Nuclear weapons treaty: Campaigners hail new era for nuclear disarmament https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-54680893
Reuters, 20/01/2021: Pope urges more nations to join U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN29P14V
The Japan Times, 22/01/2021: A-bomb survivors rejoice as U.N. nuclear ban treaty takes effect https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/22/national/nuclear-treaty-reactions/
VOA News, 22/01/2021: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Enters into Force https://www.voanews.com/usa/treaty-prohibition-nuclear-weapons-enters-force
Deutsche Welle, 22/01/2021: Treaty banning nuclear weapons takes effect without German signature https://p.dw.com/p/3oCeh
France24, 22/01/2021: UN, pope hail launch of anti-nuclear treaty https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210122-un-pope-hail-launch-of-anti-nuclear-treaty

Official
United Nations: Official Website of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/
United Nations: Treaties: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [Full Text] https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/2017/07/20170707%2003-42%20PM/Ch_XXVI_9.pdf
Official Website of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) https://www.icanw.org/
French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs: News, 07/07/2017: Adoption of a treaty banning nuclear weapons https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/united-nations/news-and-events/news/events-2017/article/adoption-of-a-treaty-banning-nuclear-weapons-07-07-17
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Reports, 28/11/2018: Review of the consequences for Norway of ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dokumenter/review_tpnw/id2614520/
NATO: Press Release No. 131/2020, 15/12/2020: North Atlantic Council Statement as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Enters Into Force https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_180087.htm

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