United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, noting that it is the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty in more than two decades.
Today, Friday, an international agreement banning all nuclear weapons entered into force, but the nuclear powers and many of the countries that protect them continue to distance themselves from the treaty.
Guterres considered the treaty an important step towards a world free of nuclear weapons, adding that he looked forward to preparing for the first meeting of the states parties to the treaty.
He stressed that nuclear weapons pose an increasing risk, stressing that the world needs urgent measures to ensure their removal and prevent the catastrophic human and environmental consequences that any use of them may cause.
The Secretary-General called on all countries to work together to realize this ambition to enhance common security and collective safety.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was adopted in New York City on July 7, 2017, with the support of 122 countries at the United Nations, after negotiations that did not involve the nuclear powers, including Russia, Britain, China, the United States and France.
According to the document, its participants pledge never and under any circumstances to develop, test, produce or stockpile nuclear weapons, as well as not to use or threaten to use them.
Countries must also not allow others to place foreign weapons on their soil.
Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey host US warheads.
However, the treaty will not lead to disarmament as long as the countries with nuclear arsenals and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) oppose it.