The treaty entered into force on 22nd January 2021. The First Meeting of State Parties (1MSP) took place in Vienna in June 2023 June 2022 with the participation of 49 States Parties, 34 observer States, and representatives of the United Nations, international and regional organisations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and civil society. The meeting adopted a series of ambitious decisions, including the Vienna Declaration and Plan of Action. Read more about 1MSP. The next meeting, 2 MSP will be in New York at the end of November 2023. The TPNW is comprehensive and unambiguous in its prohibitions and its positive obligations so it is now binding on all of the states that have signed up, and its impact is being felt all across the world. People in the UK need to have the facts about the TPNW in order to challenge the UK Government and dispel any idea that this treaty will not be as effective as the ones that banned chemical warfare, biological attacks and the landmines that have maimed and disfigured children.
In addition to contacting one of the UK partner organisations in the UK and getting involved in their work to support the TPNW, there are actions that you can take in writing to the press or contacting your elected representatives about why the UK should become a signatory. If you are a member of an organisation that is accredited at the UN you may want to consider attending the meeting in New York.
All Parliamentarians can sign the Pledge to work for the TPNW, and local authorities can join the Cities Appeal by passing a resolution through their formal meetings to commit themselves and their communities to the treaty’s provisions. Learn more from the main international site, icanw.org and follow ICAN in the UK on Facebook and twitter.
Olivia Blake MP signs the ICAN Parliamentarians’ Pledge