Austria was already at the forefront of efforts to reach an agreement on the disarmament of nuclear weapons in 2015. Now, for the first time, a meeting of the states that supported the then agreed treaty is taking place in Vienna. Given the conflict in Ukraine, the meeting is more explosive than in a long time.
Not only, but especially given the war in Ukraine, the request seems utterly hopeless, even a bit like stubborn idealism – which is exactly why it is so important: Since December 2014, Austria, together with the International Red Cross, has been campaigning quite officially for a ban on nuclear weapons. And is getting more and more international support.
In 2015, 159 countries supported an Austria-coordinated joint statement on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. The foundations for the nuclear weapons ban have been laid.
Austria as a pioneer
At a conference convened by Austria, among others, in the UN General Assembly in July 2017, 122 states accepted the treaty to negotiate a ban on nuclear weapons under international law. Austria is one of the first countries to sign and ratify this treaty, which finally came into force in January last year after its 50th ratification.
The UN agreement has now been ratified by 61 countries and signed by 86. The acceptance of the treaty by the supporting states will take place next week in Vienna. And it is important for the Foreign Ministry in Vienna to state that this is not a “peaceful utopian contract”.
Massive pressure from nuclear powers
This would also be apparent from the enormous pressure that the nuclear powers are building against the ban agreement. This is proof that the contract is effective. Otherwise he wouldn’t generate as much resistance. The NATO states of Germany and Norway see themselves under enormous pressure as they will participate in the Vienna conference as observers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also considers the participation of these two countries a success.
At the same time, people are well aware that there is still a long way to go before nuclear weapons are banned.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
