Can the UN’s new treaty abolish nuclear weapons?

A UN treaty banning nuclear weapons has now been ratified by 50 countries and will come into force in January 2021.

Supporters are hailing it as a “new chapter” in the way the world sees atomic weapons.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the treaty “represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons”.

However, none of the countries that approved it have a nuclear arsenal – and none of the world’s acknowledged nuclear powers have signed up to the treaty.

So, how effective will this agreement be towards disarmament?

 

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Sahil Shah – policy fellow, European Leadership Network.

Beatrice Fihn – executive director, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

Sharad Joshi – associate professor, Middlebury Institute of International Studies