Following a visit to the Netherlands, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Twyford will head Aotearoa New Zealand’s team to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) First Meeting of States Parties in Austria later this month.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Pact (NPT) is the first international treaty to make nuclear weapons illegal meetingfor those who sign it.
“Nuclear weapons represent an intolerable threat to all mankind,” Phil Twyford said, citing Russia’s and North Korea’s recent acts as examples.
“Last year’s entrance into effect of the Treaty marked a watershed moment in our efforts to eradicate nuclear weapons.”
This is a subject dear to New Zealand’s heart, and we have been staunch supporters of the Treaty from its inception.
At the summit in Austria, I will emphasize Aotearoa New Zealand’s support for a world free of nuclear weapons, as well as the need of moving forward with the Treaty to assist accomplish this goal.
I shall be pressing for nuclear disarmament progress by nuclear armed nations in particular.
I will also express our support for the Treaty’s obligations on environmental cleanup and victim assistance, particularly by taking action on the Pacific’s nuclear testing history.
Phil Twyford stated, “The argument for action is urgent, and the message is plain — nuclear weapons must be abolished.”
Minister Twyford will also speak at civil society and parliamentary events organized by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, as well as attend a conference on the humanitarian implications of nuclear weapons (ICAN).
He’ll meet with counterparts from Austria, the Netherlands, and other countries at the Ban Treaty meeting, as well as three international organizations: the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
“These organizations are cornerstones of the global nonproliferation and disarmament infrastructure.” “At a time when multilateral institutions are under growing assault, I will be emphasizing Aotearoa New Zealand’s support for them,” Phil Twyford said.
Minister Twyford will be on the road from June 15 to June 25.