Ban Treaty opens for signature at the United Nations

As the Treaty on the Prohibition for Nuclear Weapons opened for official signature at the United Nations on 20th September, fifty states signed the treaty within a matter of hours, with more expected to do so in the coming weeks. The Treaty will enter into force once it has been formally ratified by fifty signatories.

Irish CND welcomes the fact that Ireland, represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, was among the states to sign at the opening. In 2016, Ireland was one of the co-sponsors of the UN Resolution which established the negotiations for the Treaty.

President Michael D. Higgins has issued a statement welcoming the treaty, acknowledging both the work of Irish diplomats and Ireland's partner countries in promoting the negotiations, and also praising the role of civil society activists and researchers.