On United Nations Day, October 24, Honduras became the 50th country to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Ban Treaty), bringing the total number of ratifications to 50 and meeting the threshold for the Treaty’s entry-into force. The Ban Treaty prohibits the possession, development, testing, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons for the countries that have so far ratified it, and opens the door to the next phase of efforts to abolish nuclear weapons globally.
The Ban Treaty’s official entry-into-force on January 22, 2021 will be celebrated by civil society organizations around the world. In the United States, groups around the country will be coordinating efforts to raise public awareness about the Ban Treaty and to put pressure on the U.S. government to reverse its opposition to the Treaty.
These efforts are being led by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA), Nukewatch, The Nuclear Resister, and the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Groups are encouraged to engage in a wide range of activities on and around January 22, 2021 including hanging banners at nuclear weapon sites and military bases, federal buildings, post offices, federal courthouses and Congressional offices. Lots of other ideas, plus downloadable templates for a banner and a poster are available at OREPA’s Nuclear Ban Treaty Entry Into Force Resources page.
You are also invited to join the Nuclear Ban Treaty EIF Facebook group. If you are planning an action on January 22, 2021 or have questions, please contact nuclearbantreatyEiF@gmx.com.
Click here for UFPJ’s background and analysis of the Ban Treaty.
