UNITED NATIONS, United States, (MILLAT/APP/AFP) –
More than 100 countries are set to launch the first UN talks on a global nuclear weapons ban on Monday over objections from the major nuclear powers.
Some 123 UN members announced in October that they would launch the
UN conference to negotiate a legally binding nuclear ban treaty, even as most of the world’s declared and undeclared nuclear powers voted against the talks.
Britain, France, Israel, Russia and the United States voted no, while
China, India and Pakistan abstained.
Even Japan — the only country to have suffered atomic attacks, in
1945 — voted against the talks, saying the lack of consensus over the negotiations could undermine progress on effective nuclear disarmament.
The countries leading the effort include Austria, Ireland, Mexico,
Brazil, South Africa and Sweden. Hundreds of NGOs back their efforts.
They say the threat of nuclear disaster is growing thanks to mounting
tensions fanned by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and an unpredictable ew administration in Washington.
Supporters point to successful grassroots movements that led to the
prohibition of landmines in 1997 and cluster munitions in 2008.
“I expect that this will take a long time, let’s not be naive,”
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said at the UN last week.
“But it’s very important in these days when you see more of this
rhetoric, and also sort of power demonstrations, including threatening to use nuclear weapons.”
“Quite a high number of countries are actually interested in saying
we have to break the deadlock that has been on this issue for so many years,” she added. “So it’s also the expression of frustration.”