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Banning nuclear weapons: prohibitions for a nuclear weapon ban treaty

This discussion paper outlines Reaching Critical Will’s view of important prohibitions for a treaty banning nuclear weapons.


bnw-prohibitions-coverAn international instrument that outlaws nuclear weapons based on their unacceptable consequences would put nuclear weapons on the same footing as the other weapons of mass destruction, which are subject to prohibition through specific treaties. Such a treaty has the transformative potential to codify the illegality of nuclear weapons, stigmatise and prevent their possession as well as nuclear “deterrence” practices, and help facilitate nuclear disarmament. This paper outlines the core prohibitions necessary for such a treaty to be effective in meeting these objectives.

Written by Ray Acheson • Published June 2017 by Reaching Critical Will, a programme of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Thanks to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for funding this paper.