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| Nobel peace prize winners urge Australia to sign treaty banning nuclear weapons | Nobel peace prize winners urge Australia to sign treaty banning nuclear weapons |
| (3 months later) | |
| International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons says global nonproliferation regime has failed and weapons pose ‘an existential threat’ to humanity | |
| Ben Doherty | |
| Mon 23 Oct 2017 05.04 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 23 Oct 2017 05.05 BST | |
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| The winner of the 2017 Nobel peace prize, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, has written an open letter to Malcolm Turnbull urging the Australian government to sign the nascent global treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons. | The winner of the 2017 Nobel peace prize, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, has written an open letter to Malcolm Turnbull urging the Australian government to sign the nascent global treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons. |
| Ican, founded in Melbourne in 2007, was last month named as the 2017 Nobel peace laureate for its “groundbreaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition” of all nuclear weapons. | Ican, founded in Melbourne in 2007, was last month named as the 2017 Nobel peace laureate for its “groundbreaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition” of all nuclear weapons. |
| Labor member Anthony Albanese tabled the letter in parliament on Monday. | Labor member Anthony Albanese tabled the letter in parliament on Monday. |
| Australia has consistently refused to support or sign the ban treaty – supported by 122 countries – arguing that it relies on the protection of the United States nuclear umbrella and the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. | Australia has consistently refused to support or sign the ban treaty – supported by 122 countries – arguing that it relies on the protection of the United States nuclear umbrella and the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. |
| But the letter to Turnbull, co-signed by more than 90 community, religious and human rights groups, argues the global nonproliferation regime has failed. | But the letter to Turnbull, co-signed by more than 90 community, religious and human rights groups, argues the global nonproliferation regime has failed. |
| It says nuclear weapons “are illegitimate, immoral and now, illegal”, and pose an existential threat to all Australians. | It says nuclear weapons “are illegitimate, immoral and now, illegal”, and pose an existential threat to all Australians. |
| “As long as some countries hold these weapons, other countries will work to acquire them. There are no safe hands for nuclear weapons. We face a clear choice: continue to let these weapons spread and risk their inevitable use, or eliminate them. Nuclear weapons are an existential threat to all Australians and all humanity.” | “As long as some countries hold these weapons, other countries will work to acquire them. There are no safe hands for nuclear weapons. We face a clear choice: continue to let these weapons spread and risk their inevitable use, or eliminate them. Nuclear weapons are an existential threat to all Australians and all humanity.” |
| There are more than 15,000 nuclear weapons globally, the vast majority in the hands of the US and Russia – 1,800 are on hair-trigger alert. | There are more than 15,000 nuclear weapons globally, the vast majority in the hands of the US and Russia – 1,800 are on hair-trigger alert. |
| “If a single modern nuclear weapon is detonated in a large city, millions of people would be killed. In addition to the scale of casualties, a viable humanitarian response would be impossible because many health workers, ambulances, emergency services and hospitals would be destroyed in the blast and the city would be dangerously radioactive to surviving responders,” the letter says. | “If a single modern nuclear weapon is detonated in a large city, millions of people would be killed. In addition to the scale of casualties, a viable humanitarian response would be impossible because many health workers, ambulances, emergency services and hospitals would be destroyed in the blast and the city would be dangerously radioactive to surviving responders,” the letter says. |
| Tilman Ruff, the founding chairman of Ican, said: “A majority of nations have made immense progress this year to delegitimise and outlaw nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Australia’s approach is inching us closer to nuclear conflict. Our government should be calling on all nuclear-armed states, not only North Korea, to reject nuclear weapons and disarm.” | Tilman Ruff, the founding chairman of Ican, said: “A majority of nations have made immense progress this year to delegitimise and outlaw nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Australia’s approach is inching us closer to nuclear conflict. Our government should be calling on all nuclear-armed states, not only North Korea, to reject nuclear weapons and disarm.” |
| The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was opened for signature on 20 September, and has 53 signatories so far. Once 50 nations have ratified or acceded to the treaty, it enters into force. | The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was opened for signature on 20 September, and has 53 signatories so far. Once 50 nations have ratified or acceded to the treaty, it enters into force. |
| The efficacy of a global nuclear weapons ban treaty is fiercely contested. | The efficacy of a global nuclear weapons ban treaty is fiercely contested. |
| Global support for the treaty built over months of negotiations, but it has no backing from the nine known nuclear states – the US, China, France, Britain, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – which include the veto-wielding permanent five members of the security council. | Global support for the treaty built over months of negotiations, but it has no backing from the nine known nuclear states – the US, China, France, Britain, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – which include the veto-wielding permanent five members of the security council. |
| Critics argue that a treaty cannot succeed without the participation of the states that possess the weapons. But proponents say a nuclear weapons ban will create moral pressure – in the vein of the cluster bomb and landmine conventions – for nuclear weapons states to disarm, and establish an international norm prohibiting the development, possession and use of nuclear weapons. | Critics argue that a treaty cannot succeed without the participation of the states that possess the weapons. But proponents say a nuclear weapons ban will create moral pressure – in the vein of the cluster bomb and landmine conventions – for nuclear weapons states to disarm, and establish an international norm prohibiting the development, possession and use of nuclear weapons. |
| Australia has been the most outspoken of the non-nuclear states in opposing the ban treaty. It has lobbied other countries, pressing the case for what it describes as a “building blocks” approach of engaging with nuclear powers to reduce the global stockpile of weapons. | Australia has been the most outspoken of the non-nuclear states in opposing the ban treaty. It has lobbied other countries, pressing the case for what it describes as a “building blocks” approach of engaging with nuclear powers to reduce the global stockpile of weapons. |
| But many non-nuclear states have expressed increasing frustration with the current nuclear regime and the sclerotic movement towards disarmament. | But many non-nuclear states have expressed increasing frustration with the current nuclear regime and the sclerotic movement towards disarmament. |
| With nuclear weapons states modernising and in some cases increasing their arsenals, more states are becoming disenchanted with the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and lending their support to an outright ban. | With nuclear weapons states modernising and in some cases increasing their arsenals, more states are becoming disenchanted with the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and lending their support to an outright ban. |
| The letter to Turnbull concedes a treaty “will not eliminate nuclear weapons overnight”. | The letter to Turnbull concedes a treaty “will not eliminate nuclear weapons overnight”. |
| “However, similar treaties which have outlawed chemical weapons, biological weapons, landmines and cluster munitions, have led to massive reductions in the manufacture and use of such weapons as well as their progressive dismantlement.” | “However, similar treaties which have outlawed chemical weapons, biological weapons, landmines and cluster munitions, have led to massive reductions in the manufacture and use of such weapons as well as their progressive dismantlement.” |
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