The ICAN Cities Appeal was endorsed unanimously by the town of Bassendean on 31 March 2020.

MOTION

 
CR McLENNAN – SUPPORTING UN TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

“That Council declares its support for the UN Treaty on the Prohibitionof Nuclear Weapons and calls on our federal leaders to sign and ratify it without delay.”
 
BACKGROUND –CR MCLENNAN
 
On 7 July 2017, an overwhelming majority of the world’s countries voted to adopt the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons –a landmark global agreement that outlaws nuclear weapons and establishes a framework for achieving their total elimination. Prior to the treaty’s adoption, nuclear weapons were the only weapons of mass destruction not subject to a comprehensive ban, despite their catastrophic, widespread and persistent humanitarian and environmental consequences. The new agreement fills a significant gap in international law.
 
It prohibits nations from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, transferring, possessing, stockpiling, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons, or allowing nuclear weapons to be stationed on their territory. It also prohibits them from assisting, encouraging or inducing anyone to engage in any of these activities.
 
A nation that possesses nuclear weapons may join the treaty, so long as it agrees to destroy them in accordance with a legally binding, time-bound plan. Similarly, a nation that hosts another nation’s nuclear weapons on its territory may join, so long as it agrees to remove them by a specified deadline.
 
Once 50 countries ratify or acceded to it, the treaty will enter into force. There are currently 81 signatories and 35 states parties. Australia did not participate in the negotiations and has not signed the treaty.