nuclear-news

Ireland has been awarded a prestigious international peace prize.

The Irish disarmament delegation at the UN, along with six international partners, has been named as a winner of the Arms Control Person of the Year.

Diplomats from the disarmament delegations of Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Africa, and Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gómez of Costa Rica won the poll ahead of eight other nominees.

It is for their leadership during the negotiations of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The Tánaiste Simon Coveney welcomed the award, and said the situation in North Korea is a reminder of the risks and consequences of nuclear weapons.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said: “In a year marked by rising tensions between the world’s nuclear-armed states, the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons stands out as a historic achievement.

“The strong affirmative vote for the disarmament teams from Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Africa, and Ambassador Whyte Gómez, reflects their pivotal role in the negotiation of the treaty and the pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons.”