Strong call for elimination of nuclear weapons
ON Sept 20, Malaysia joined the group of nations calling for the global elimination of nuclear weapons when it signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the 72th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
By signing the treaty, our country sent a strong political message that nuclear weapons are unacceptable and joined other states from the international community in calling for the complete and total elimination of nuclear weapons as soon as possible.
On July 7, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, which is the first legally-binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons with the goal of leading towards their total elimination, was passed during a meeting at the United Nations (UN) conference in New York.
The treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities.
For nuclear armed states joining the treaty, it provides a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of their nuclear weapons programme.
The treaty was opened for signature to all countries at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept 20, and would enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 countries.
During the vote on the text of the treaty, 122 countries including Malaysia were in favour of it, one voted against (The Netherlands) and one abstained (Singapore).
Sadly, 69 nations including several developed countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France and Russia did not vote, their reason being that the treaty disregards the realities of the international security environment and that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is already in place, is sufficient to deal with the issue.
If we are committed to putting an end to the development and use of nuclear weapons, all countries must stand united and sign on the dotted line.
The treaty will become pointless and ineffective without the full support of all nations.
The fact that some developed countries refused to vote on the treaty will certainly send a wrong signal to hawkish nations like Israel and North Korea, encouraging them to continue aggressively and recklessly in developing such weapons.
As such, these countries must re-think their position on the issue and give their unconditional support to the treaty.
Meanwhile, countries that have signed the treaty must work together to put pressure on those that haven’t for the sake of humanity and our future generations.
DR MUZAFFAR SYAH MALLOW Faculty of Syariah & Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia