We must never grow weary of working to support the principal international legal instruments of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Pope Francis, November 2019, Japan
Greetings!
January 22, 2023 is the second anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). “Entry into force” means that the treaty’s provisions are binding in the 68 nations that have ratified the treaty; 30 other countries are moving through their ratification processes.
From the UN: “The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) includes a
comprehensive set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities.
These include 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.”
Why is the TPNW important?
- On January 22, 2021, the TPNW made nuclear weapons illegal under international law. This is worth celebrating at every opportunity – it helps to inform U.S. Catholics and other citizens about the treaty and its provisions and to inspire progress toward U.S. recognition of this new reality.
- It stigmatizes nuclear weapons, which can increase calls to abolish these weapons.
- The treaty also prohibits the manufacturing of nuclear weapons so countries which have ratified the treaty are in the process of divesting from companies that produce nuclear weapons.
