nuclear-news

The Liberal government says it won’t sign the new Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, when it opens for signature at the United Nations on Sept. 20.

None of the nine countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons — the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel — is supporting the treaty, according to the Associated Press.

Some argue the treaty will not be effective. Canada has also declined to support the ban.

One hundred and twenty-two nations have supported the treaty.

So now individual Canadian MPs and Senators have been invited to come and “sign the treaty” on Wednesday in an event organized by a coalition of peace groups. Such “Citizen Signing Ceremonies” will be held in 11 cities. Signing will take place in Toronto outside the offices of Foreign Affairs minister Chrystia Freeland. In Ottawa the signing will take place on Parliament Hill, beneath the Peace Tower.

Retired British Royal Navy Cmdr. Rob Green, who flew nuclear strike aircraft and is now co-director of the Peace Foundation’s Disarmament and Security Centre, told the Associated Press in the July that “the heart of this treaty” is the prohibition on threatening to use nuclear weapons.