The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Treaty adopted July 7, 2017

The beginning of the end of nuclear weapons

On July 7, 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was formally adopted with the support of 122 countries. This treaty bans nuclear weapons and establishes a clear path toward abolition. The TPNW bans nuclear weapons because they are inhumane and too dangerous, which is precisely what the hibakusha have been telling the world for over seventy years.  

In December that year, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its role in promoting the treaty. Setsuko Thurlow, a hibakusha who was one of the original instigators of the Hibakusha Appeal, attended the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. In her acceptance speech, she declared that the Treaty marked the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons.

For the TPNW to formally enter into force, it must be ratified by 50 nations. As of April 1, 2019, it has been signed by 70 and ratified by 22. The nuclear-armed nations and those reliant on nuclear umbrellas have been turning their backs on the treaty. To achieve our ultimate goal, it will be necessary to persuade them to change their stance. The Hibakusha Appeal Campaign intends to generate a global movement powerful enough to persuade all nations to abandon nuclear weapons, abandon the competition and animosity behind those weapons, and redirect those resources toward the cooperative efforts required to restore our planet to health. To that end, the Hibakusha Appeal Coordinating Committee intends to submit hundreds of millions of signatures to the United Nations. Please help us accomplish this goal.