Govt signs nukes ban treaty at UN

Thailand joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been signed and ratified by Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai in New York.

The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday at UN Headquarters.

It was chaired by UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

The treaty will come into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 countries.

It was first adopted at a UN conference on July 7 aimed at anti-proliferation.

The pact contains a range of prohibitions against nuclear weapon-related activities.

“The treaty is an important step toward the universally held goal of a world free of nuclear weapons,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

North Korea’s recent nuclear test is among the topics being discussed at the United Nations General Assembly from this Tuesday to Monday.

US President Donald Trump during his speech on the opening day lashed out at the country’s missiles and nuclear tests and threatened to “totally destroy North Korea” if the US or its allies were seriously threatened.

Security Council members held urgent talks last Friday to address the North’s provocations, which have stepped up in recent months.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japan on Sept 14, less than three weeks after it sent another missile over the same country on Aug 28.

In between those dates the reclusive regime tested an advanced nuclear device on Sept 3, leading the Security Council to unanimously adopt a resolution imposing stiffer sanctions against the country.