123 countries have voted to support negotiations for a global nuclear ban at the United Nations General Assembly today.
Resolution L41 was adopted by the First Committee and means ban treaty negotiations will be convened in 2017. Just 38 countries voted against the resolution and 16 abstained.
British anti-Trident campaigners said they were disappointed with the UK government’s decision to vote against negotiations.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“It’s very encouraging to see so many countries say loud and clear it’s time for the world to move on from nuclear weapons. We have united before to ban biological and chemical weapons, land mines and cluster bombs, and now the international community is taking decisive steps to ban nuclear weapons. It’s very inspiring and CND will do everything it can to support it.
“It’s therefore very disappointing to see the British government attempt to thwart these vital negotiations.
“The government that has begun replacing Trident, Britain’s own nuclear weapons system, at a cost of £205 billion, has repeatedly said it supports a multilateral approach to global abolition. So why is it opposing what is now before us: a clear and concrete multilateral plan?
“We urge the British government to rethink its approach, to support and participate in the UN conference in 2017 that will explore steps towards a global nuclear ban.”