On Friday the United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons—122 states have signed on to this binding agreement. Activists are calling this a historic moment for disarmament. The Nobel Women’s Initiative has released a statement “[congratulating] the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons on their successful work to bring about this treaty.”
The treaty “highlights the effects of nuclear weapons on women and girls and recognizes that the use and testing of nuclear weapons has had a disproportionate impact on Indigenous peoples.” It also resolves to meaningfully involve women in the process of nuclear disarmament.
“While it is disappointing that UN member states who possess nuclear weapons—and many states under what is known as a nuclear umbrella—did not participate in the negotiations, we have seen in the past that when disarmament treaties set high standards, strong international norms follow.”
The treaty is a step towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons and reflects a growing understanding of the link between militarism, inequality, and violence against women. Disarmament and demilitarization are key to building lasting peace and security.
Read the full text of the statement here.