3MSP events

After signing and ratifying, or acceding to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), ensuring that its prohibitions are fully adhered to in each of the States Parties to the treaty is critical to the eventual complete elimination of nuclear weapons and the danger they pose to all of humanity.

Article 5 of the TPNW obligates States Parties “to take all appropriate legal, administrative, and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Treaty undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control.”

The ICRC has drafted model legislation for common law states who wish to adopt the appropriate legislation. According to the Nuclear Ban Monitor, two States Parties have so far enacted legislation specifically to meet their Article 5 obligations. However, some States Parties have pre-existing legislation that already meets all of the requirements of Article 5. And almost all States Parties have some form of legislation that penalizing at least some of the activities prohibited by the TPNW.

So far, assisting State Parties to fulfil the obligations of Article 5 has not received the same level of attention being given to many of the other Articles in the TPNW. Civil Society representatives at both the first Meeting of State Parties (1MSP) and the second Meeting of State Parties (2MSP) to the Treaty on TPNW have proposed more discussion about this. And in July, 2024, following informal discussions with a number of States Parties in New York, the NGO NuclearBan.US undertook a mapping exercise to identify what relevant legislation may already exist in States Parties, based on their reporting to the UNSC1540 matrix.

This side event taking place in the margins of the third Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty will now provide an opportunity for States Parties to hear about the initial mapping exercise undertaken and the findings from it. States Parties will have the opportunity to discuss the next steps and ways forward to further advance Article 5 in the lead up to the TPNW Review Conference in 2026.

Check back soon for a full program of the briefing and discussion!

The adoption and entry into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has generated growing momentum for nuclear weapons divestment. Financial institutions citing the TPNW as a decisive factor to exclude nuclear weapons from investment have clearly shown the Treaty’s impact, in some cases even extending beyond the borders of states parties. Investors are also increasingly taking a leadership role in supporting nuclear disarmament.

Private corporations that develop, assemble and maintain nuclear weapons wield enormous power over government policies, especially in the United States, through their direct lobbying efforts, financing of election campaigns, revolving door appointments, pro-nuclear think-tanks, and influence over the mass media. Divestment campaigns and other forms of stigmatization are therefore key to achieving the Treaty’s objectives in the medium to long-term.

Four years after the TPNW’s entry into force, this event will take stock and address current challenges and opportunities in promoting the Treaty’s objectives through the channel of divestment. 

As governments gather for the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (3MSP), this special briefing will explore the urgent need for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a proposal currently spearheaded by 16 nation-states and the valuable lessons that can be drawn from the TPNW process.

Hosted in NYC for UN Missions and live-streamed for policymakers globally, the event will provide insights into how countries successfully negotiated the TPNW—transforming a bold vision to ban nuclear weapons into a legally binding agreement—and how similar strategies could support efforts to manage a global just transition away from fossil fuels in line with climate science and justice.

Join us for a discussion on the path to negotiation of an international treaty to manage and finance a global just transition away from fossil fuel production to a clean energy future.