More than 50 countries — none from Nato — sign treaty for nuclear ban

NEW YORK/BRUSSELS: More than 50 nations signed a treaty calling for a global ban on nuclear weapons at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. None of them possess nuclear arms or belong to the powerful Nato military alliance.

Brazilian President Michel Temer was the first world leader to sign the agreement, which 122 of the 193 UN member states committed to in July.

Calling the agreement a “milestone” at a time when the world is plagued by increasing concerns about the “catastrophic” consequences of nuclear warfare, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recalled the devastation caused by nuclear weapons in Japan during World War II.

“The heroic survivors Hiroshima and Nagasaki — of the Hibakusha — continue to remind us of the devastating humanitarian consequences ofnuclear weapons.

“Their testimony has provided moving and moral impetus for the negotiation of this Treaty,” Guterres said during the signing ceremony, adding that there are more than 15,000 “doomsday weapons” in existence today.

The treaty is opposed by dozens of countries, including those belonging to Nato.

The military alliance said on Wednesday that the treaty “will not be effective.” It could instead heighten security threats and create divisions on the path to global nuclear disarmament.

The North Atlantic Council, Nato’s political decision-making body, said the allied countries would not join the treaty, saying it “disregards the realities of the increasingly challenging international security environment.”

“At a time when the world needs to remain united in the face of growing threats, in particular the grave threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear programme, the treaty fails to take into account these urgent security challenges,” Nato said.

“As long as nuclear weapons exist, Nato will remain a nuclear alliance.”

The alliance noted that the treaty would not change “legal obligations on our countries with respect to nuclear weapons.”

The United States and Russia have the most war heads, while Britain, France, China, India and Pakistan are also nuclear powers. Israel has never admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, but has also not denied that they are a nuclear power.