The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney T.D. today welcomed the entry into force of a landmark treaty banning nuclear weapons.
The Minister said: “The entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) comes just over three years after 122 states of the UN General Assembly voted to adopt a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons.
The TPNW is a significant global achievement; it is the first time nuclear weapons have been expressly prohibited in an international instrument. The pandemic has shown us that risks, however unlikely, can materialise with devastating global impact.
The growing public body of scientific and medical evidence clearly shows that we will never be remotely equipped to deal with the consequences of a nuclear weapon's detonation. The only guarantee of safety is the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, as foreseen in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The TPNW represents an important step towards implementing the NPT and gives our work a renewed purpose as we face the challenges ahead.”
The Minister, referring to the Dáil Debate that took place on the entry in force of the TPNW in December, said;
“Dáil Eireann recently considered the urgent issue of nuclear disarmament. The elimination of nuclear weapons is not just a priority of this Government, but one shared by all parties and strongly supported by the Irish people.
It is imperative that current and future generations understand the threat posed by the very existence of the most powerful and most indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction ever invented. This Treaty, which enters into force today, commits us to raising awareness of the risks and consequences of nuclear weapons, which has long been a priority for Ireland.”
Notes
The Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been signed by 86 countries, and ratified by 51 countries.