UN: For a world without nuclear weapons
Finally, the time had come: on 22 January 2021, the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), entered into force.
Several states, but mainly civil society groups around the world, had fought for this for many years, including in Germany. The treaty had already been adopted by 122 countries at the UN in 2017 and then came into force in 2021. Today, 99 countries, i.e. the majority of all UN members, support the treaty. In doing so, they support the need to outlaw nuclear weapons, as well as all other weapons of mass destruction, under international law.
At a time when nine countries (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea) possess nuclear bombs and other countries want to acquire nuclear weapons, this treaty is a particularly important sign in the fight for a nuclear-free world. ‘As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is a risk of nuclear war, and a nuclear war would be the last war humanity would ever fight, because afterwards there would be no one left to fight another war,’ realpolitik politician Mikhail Gorbachev told me in our joint book “Listen to reason – War no more!: An Appeal from Mikhail Gorbachev to the world”.
Yet at present, all nuclear-armed countries are talking about ‘modernising’ their nuclear policies. However, the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) embodies humanity’s desire to live without nuclear weapons. At the same time, it represents the victory of international democracy and multinational diplomacy over the dominance of the nuclear world powers. Unfortunately, this issue and the fight for a nuclear-free world receive far too little attention and coverage in the media. We journalists have a lot of catching up to do here. This is another reason why none of the nine nuclear-weapon states support this treaty.
Among other things, the TPNW prohibits signatory states from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons, as well as from developing, testing and possessing them. The last two popes and the Dalai Lama have also said that even the threat of using nuclear weapons is a sin and is prohibited. The transfer of nuclear weapons is also prohibited under the AVV. In addition, members undertake to support the survivors of nuclear weapons tests by providing medical care and economic integration. In 2023, the UN established a scientific advisory board to build a network and disseminate and promote the goals of the AVV worldwide. The findings of this advisory board are presented at regular United Nations conferences.
Peace is still possible
The more active civil society is in this process – especially in countries that possess or want to possess nuclear weapons – the more successful we can be in stopping the nuclear madness and achieving the worldwide ban of all nuclear weapons. Everyone bears responsibility for this. It is a matter of the survival of all life on our planet. If we do not succeed in abolishing nuclear weapons, they will eventually abolish us – through human megalomania or through technical error or failure. And then no one can credibly say that he or she knew nothing about it.
- Mikhail Gorbachev “Listen to reason – War no more!: An Appeal from Mikhail Gorbachev to the world” (English Edition)
- List of parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Source
Franz Alt 2026 | Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
