Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

Photo: Aude Catimel/ICAN

The International Humanitarian Movement for Nuclear Disarmament

The tides are turning. On July 7, 2017, the U.N. adopted the first-ever treaty imposing a comprehensive prohibition against nuclear weapons; more than 120 nations were in support. Inspired by past efforts that led to bans on land mines and cluster bombs, the treaty—negotiated without the nine nuclear-armed countries—reframes nuclear disarmament as a global health imperative and provides a vision for a nuclear weapons-free world.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) mobilized civil society across more than 100 countries to create the political momentum at the U.N. to achieve the treaty. ICAN won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for raising awareness on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. PSR’s global affiliate, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), founded ICAN in 2007. PSR is a proud U.S.-partner of ICAN.

About the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

On July 7, 2017, the U.N. adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which comprehensively prohibits nuclear weapons and related activities. The medical community’s advocacy and research helped civil society and the international community devise public health solutions to the threat of nuclear weapons.

Ban Treaty at a Glance

September 2017

Quick guide to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons approved by the U.N. on July 7, 2017.

ICAN/Clare Conboy

Photo: Clare Conboy/ICAN

By The Numbers

68

nations have ratified the nuclear weapons ban treaty

Ban Treaty Signatories

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force on January 22, 2021 after Honduras ratified the treaty, becoming the 50th nation to do so.

0

nuclear states have ratified the nuclear weapons ban treaty

Nuclear-Armed Nations

Neither the U.S. nor any of the other 8 nuclear-armed states have supported the treaty. Activists in the U.S. are pushing for recognition.

Photo: Clare Conboy/ICAN

Latest Ban Treaty News & Actions

Cutting through the Chatter: Gender Matters in the Atomic Age

Mary Olson, founder and director of the Gender and Radiation Impact Project (GRIP), will speak on progress on nuclear weapons abolition and her work highlighting disparate impacts on female A-bomb survivors.

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Urge your U.S. Representative to help reduce the risk of nuclear war

H. Res. 77 calls on the U.S. government to take common sense steps toward total worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons.

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Celebrating the ban treaty’s “Banniversary” around the United States 

PSR members around the country joined in celebrating the second anniversary of the nuclear weapons ban treaty “entry into force” on January 22.

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Looking Ahead: What to Expect in the World of Nuclear Weapons Abolition in the New Year

PSR is here to give you a sneak peak at what to expect in January 2023.

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