October 26, 2020: The United Nations (UN) announced on October 24 that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TNPW) is set to enter into force in January 2021. On October 24, the UN announced that Honduras, the 50th country, has submitted its ratification.
“Entry into force is a tribute to the survivors of nuclear explosions and tests, many of whom advocated for this Treaty”, said the UN chief António Guterres in his statement. He further said, “It represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations.”
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons. The treaty was adopted in 2017, and it is the first multilateral legally binding instrument for nuclear disarmament in two decades.
The five original nuclear powers have reportedly opposed the treaty and its ratification. As reported by the Associated Press, the US had sent a letter to the signatories of the treaty which reportedly states that the US, Russia, China, Britain and France and America’s NATO allies “stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions.”
