Dear Friend --

On July 7th 2017, we celebrated a historic feat: the majority of the world’s nations voted to adopt the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In the five years since, ICAN campaigners around the world have kept pushing so that the treaty could have maximum impact, and achieved so much:

• 86 countries have already signed the treaty and 66 have ratified it, with many more on the way. This backing led to another historic moment in January 2021, when the treaty entered into force after reaching the required threshold of 50 states parties, making nuclear weapons comprehensively illegal under international law for the first time.
• Over 2000 elected officials and 500 cities around the world have called on the governments that have yet to sign and ratify the treaty to do so urgently. They see the popular support for the treaty in public opinion, and the urgent need to keep their citizens safe.
• With investments in nuclear weapons banned under international law, we’ve seen major financial institutions, representing nearly $4 trillion in assets under management, cite the treaty as they divest from the companies producing nuclear weapons.
• And just last month, the first Meeting of States Parties to the treaty concluded with the adoption of a political declaration and practical action plan which form ‘the most powerful multilaterally negotiated document on nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament ever.’

Of course, our work is far from done. The nuclear threats from Russia during its invasion of Ukraine and the unconscionable spending of $82 billion on nuclear arsenals by all 9 nuclear armed states in 2021 are just two examples of why we cannot stop calling out these states for their reckless behaviour and pushing for real action.

But as one of the speakers at our incredible Nuclear Ban Forum put it: we need to celebrate our victories to power the work that is yet to come. So for today, let’s celebrate the TPNW and all that it has achieved, and invite others to join or power our movement. Here are three ways you can help:

Thank you for all that you do,

Tim Wright
Treaty Coordinator
ICAN

It’s time to end nuclear weapons.

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