bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Minnie Chan

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), or the nuclear weapon ban treaty, is an international law aimed at building a nuclear weapon-free world, and took effect on January 22.
However, the treaty is a “paper tiger” because none of the recognised nuclear-armed states has signed on to the treaty. Here, the significance of the law and reasons behind criticism are explained.
Is the treaty a comprehensive international law with legal force?
The treaty defines all nuclear weapons as illegal arms, with the ultimate goal being to eliminate all nukes in the world. It was passed by the United Nations Assembly in 2017 and became a formal international law on January 22. However, the law does not have the right to punish nuclear-armed countries, because they are not willing to sign the treaty.


Who are the key targets under the treaty?
The law is aimed at motivating the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China – the five nuclear-weapon states officially recognised by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that rejected calls for a comprehensive treaty review in 2010 – to join the new treaty because they believed the NPT could not solve the nuclear crisis and other related problems.
Nuclear ban treaty to enter into force. Is it ‘victory for humanity’?
How are the NPT and TPNW different?
Both are international treaties but they have different objectives. The TPNW aims to create a nuclear weapon-free world but the NPT is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and weapon technology, as well as promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Members of the NPT include nuclear-weapon states as well as countries that do not have nuclear weapons. The treaty entered into force in 1970 and now 191 countries take part, including the world’s two nuclear giants – the US and Russia – which own more than 13,000 nukes or more than 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear weapons. Other officially recognised nuclear-weapon states such as China, Britain, and France have joined but North Korea, which is also believed to have nuclear weapons, withdrew in 2003. India, Pakistan, South Sudan and Israel have not joined.


The TPNW was initiated and proposed by non-nuclear weapon countries Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa, which formed the New Agenda Coalition (NAC) in 2010.
How was the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty created?
The non-nuclear weapon states that made up the NAC presented their idea for a nuclear-weapon ban treaty to NPT states parties as a possible “effective measure” in 2016. The treaty was adopted and passed by the United Nations Assembly in 2017.
What is the significance of the TPNW?
This is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons and with the ultimate goal of total elimination.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), one of the key campaigners of the treaty, won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.
According to the Article 5 of the treaty, each state party shall adopt and take all necessary measures to implement its obligations under this treaty, including the imposition of penal sanctions and other activities to support the law.

Can the UN push all nuclear-weapon states to implement the law?
No, a UN international law needs to be adopted by treaty parties for it to become a domestic law, otherwise, it’s just an international law outside their territory without any binding effect. Indeed, none of the five UN Security Council (UNSC) permanent members: the US, Russia, China, France and Britain, which are all nuclear-weapon states, supports the treaty.
How India and Pakistan became nuclear states
Why don’t any of the UNSC members support the treaty?
Despite controversy over the nuclear disarmament efforts made by the US and Russia, the pair had signed on to and joined several treaties, including the NPT and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). In a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the two countries agreed to discuss extending New START – which is due to expire next month – for five years.


Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator and former military instructor, said none of the five UNSC permanent members possessing nuclear arms would allow the non-nuclear weapon states decide their “rules of the game”.
“The game rules in the international community are decided by great powers. If the five nuclear powers still fail to reach a consensus on the nuclear disarmament, they would not let those developing countries decide their fates,” he said.
“The goal of building a nuclear weapon-free world is a joke and unrealistic. History has shown that the procession of nuclear weapons is the way to maintain global peace.”


China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is

UK’s Larry the cat, 19, marks 15 years, 6 PMs, as chief mouser

Why Chinese navy still trails the US in high-stakes game of underwater aircraft recovery

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

United States

What is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and will it make a difference?

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons came into effect on January 22. Photo: EPA-EFE

TOPSHOT - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (2nd R) is applauded after opening the Signing Ceremony for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on September 20, 2017, at the United Nations in New York. / AFP PHOTO / DON EMMERT

News

China

Diplomacy


The new Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty became international law this month but a flaw may stifle it’s aims – the major nuclear states won’t sign up
The TPNW has different aims to the 50-year-old nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty



The new Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty became international law this month but a flaw may stifle it’s aims – the major nuclear states won’t sign up.


Defence

US-China relations

United Nations

Russia

Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)


Explainer