US and UK join boycott of UN talks to ban nuclear weapons
US ambassador says world is too unsafe to outlaw nuclear arms
The US, the UK and France are among 40 countries that have boycotted United Nations talks on a worldwide nuclear weapons ban.
The US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley says a ban is "unrealistic" because of "bad actors" who cannot be trusted, reports the BBC.
"There is nothing I want more from my family than a world with no nuclear weapons. But we have to be realistic. Is there anyone that believes that North Korea would agree to a ban on nuclear weapons?" she asked.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"In this day and time we can't honestly say we can protect our people by allowing the bad actors to have them and those of us that are good, trying to keep peace and safety, not to have them."
At least 113 countries endorsed a plan for negotiating on a legally-binding nuclear ban, reports The Guardian.
Support for a ban treaty has been growing steadily over the years, with frustration at the ineffectiveness of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at reducing nuclear arsenals, adds the paper. The treaty was first introduced in 1970.
The nine known nuclear states – the US, China, France, Britain, Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – all oppose a ban treaty.
The UK ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft says he will not attend the talks because "we do not believe that those negotiations will lead to effective progress on global nuclear disarmament."
He argued that the best way to achieve the goal of global nuclear disarmament was through a "step-by-step approach" within existing international frameworks that "build trust and confidence."
The UN under-secretary general for disarmament Kim Won-Soo says "the need for progress on nuclear disarmament has rarely been as urgent as it is today".
Opponents of the ban say gradual disarmament is working and has made a difference.
The US has reduced its nuclear arsenal by 85 per cent under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, says Haley, and the UK has cut its nuclear forces by over 50 per cent since the height of the Cold War, according to Rycroft.
But supporters of the ban believe it could help create a new international norm of rejecting atomic arms, says The Independent.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Could Hezbollah defeat Israel?
Today's Big Question 'World's best-armed non-state group' on brink of all-out war with neighbour as UN chief warns of regional 'catastrophe'
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Iran at the nuclear crossroads
The Explainer Officials 'openly threatening' to build nuclear bomb, as watchdog finds large increase in enriched uranium stockpile
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How would we know if World War Three had started?
Today's Big Question With conflicts in Ukraine, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, the 'spark' that could ignite all-out war 'already exists'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How likely is an accidental nuclear incident?
The Explainer Artificial intelligence, secret enemy tests or false alarms could trigger inadvertent launch or detonation
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Russia planning to blow up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant?
Today's Big Question Ukraine warns of tactical sabotage that could cause radioactive disaster and force Kyiv into peace talks
By The Week Staff Published
-
How will Wagner turmoil affect peace-keeping in Mali?
feature Mutiny in Russia and expulsion of UN forces threatens to further destabilise war-torn West African nation
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
Europe's largest power plant at risk of nuclear accident, Russian officials say
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
United Nations votes 143-5 to condemn Russia's 'attempted illegal annexation' of Ukraine provinces
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published