Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the first legally binding international agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons comprehensively, including their development, testing, possession, use and threat of use. It was negotiated at the United Nations by a majority of states, supported by humanitarian arguments about the catastrophic consequences of nuclear war, and adopted in July 2017 before being opened for signature. It entered into force in January 2021 after fifty states had ratified it. The nuclear-armed states and most of their allies, including NATO members, did not join, arguing that it would not lead to real disarmament and could undermine the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for its role.

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