Non-nuclear UN members want a world with no nuclear weapons…
The United Nations General Assembly has started putting together a legally binding agreement banning all nuclear weapons. The problem: no nuclear nations are participating.
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley gave a press conference today with close to 20 other officials from countries that are US allies. The United States, Britain, and France, along with almost 40 other countries, are boycotting talks on a nuclear weapons ban treaty at the United Nations.
More than 100 countries were represented at Monday’s talks, but none of them belong to the group of states that possess nuclear weapons. Talks in this environment is a feckless effort that have no meaning or chance of success.
Ambassador Haley said the boycotting countries “would love to have a ban on nuclear weapons, but in this day and time we can’t honestly say we can protect our people by allowing bad actors to have them and those of us that are good trying to keep peace and safety not to have them.” She went on to say “We have to be realistic. Is there anyone who thinks that North Korea would ban nuclear weapons? North Korea would be the one cheering, and all of us and the people we represent would be the ones at risk.”
Even countries that are not considered US allies, Russia and China -both major nuclear powers, are also sitting out the talks.
Britain’s UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said: “The UK is not attending the negotiations on a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons because we do not believe that those negotiations will lead to effective progress on global nuclear disarmament.”
Deputy French UN Ambassador Alexis Lamek said the security conditions were not right for a nuclear weapons ban treaty. He said, “In the current perilous context, considering, in particular, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, our countries continue to rely on nuclear deterrence for security and stability.”
Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic attacks, also voted against the talks, saying a lack of consensus over the negotiations could undermine progress on effective nuclear disarmament.
Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, said in a statement: “It is disappointing to see some countries with strong humanitarian records standing with a government which threatens a new arms race.” She also said, “There was disappointment with the Obama administration, which made some pledges, but then ignored most of them, and now there are raised worries with the new US president.”
Leaders of the effort to ban the nuclear weapons include Austria, Ireland, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and Sweden, supported by hundreds of NGOs.
Jon Harris is an OpsLens contributor and former Army NCO, civilian law enforcement officer, and defense contractor with over 30 years in the law enforcement community. He holds a B.S. in Government and Politics and an M.S. in Criminal Justice.
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