The Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force on January 22, 2021.  Antoinette Riley (pictured holding the Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) in 2017) was amongst members of MPG who attended an event to celebrate the occasion in Martin Place (Sydney). They heard Gem Romuld (Director of ICAN Australia) who explained that the event in Sydney was just one of more than 150 similar events taking place around the globe.

Gem said “Of the 51 countries that have signed the treaty 10 are located in the Pacific. This means that Australia is being put to shame by our neighbours, especially given the history of nuclear testing here in Australia and in the Pacific, which is one of the primary reasons that Australia should be getting behind this treaty. But despite the government’s reluctance to sign the TPNW, community and political support for it is building. There are signs of hope. Many organisations – parliamentarians, unions, church groups and peace groups have sent messages of support.”

Nuclear weapons are now illegal. The number of countries supporting the TPNW continues to grow.