Last Friday the first-ever UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons came into effect. The day was marked on Abingdon Market Place by the Abingdon Peace Group.
The treaty prohibits signatories from producing, stockpiling, selling and using nuclear weapons. The treaty was passed by the UN in 2017, with 123 countries voting for and 38 voting against. It has so far been ratified by 52 states and others are in the process. Signatories are mostly from Africa, Latin America and Asia.
They include some European nations including Ireland. Will the UK follow? The archbishops of Canterbury and York, and many bishops of both Anglican and Catholic dioceses have publicly called on the UK government to sign it.
There are an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons worldwide. Such weapons are overwhelmingly owned by the USA, and Russia. Other countries with nuclear weapons include: China, France, UK, Pakistan, India, North Korea and probably Israel. Signatories do not include any countries that own these nuclear weapons or any Nato members.
Thankyou to Feng Ho for the pictures.
Nuclear weapons are dreadful but it is because we have them that peace has ensued for 70 years. The UK might get rid of them but other countries are going nuclear at a pace. We only have to look at North Korea and Iran. They may sign anti nuclear deals but are working towards getting nuclear weapons and will not stop. Countries such as India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons.
If there are enough weapons to destroy the planet once, surely that is enough? I’m not convinced by the ‘We have to have them because they do’ argument. Even less so by the huge amounts of money squandered on excessive destructive capacity.