NEW YORK / CANBERRA — While in New York this week to speak at the UN General Assembly and launch Australia’s bid to secure a UN Security Council seat, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also receive a “Global Citizen Award” from the Atlantic Council.

The award recognises the Prime Minister’s role in advancing the AUKUS pact at a time of rising concern over Australia’s strategic independence and increasing nuclear enmeshment. In response, security experts and humanitarian advocates are calling for any support of militarism to be counterbalanced with actions that promote peace and disarmament, including relating to nuclear weapons by joining the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Rising concerns stem from Australia’s increasing strategic exposure as joint facilities such as Pine Gap and North West Cape embed Australia into US nuclear targeting, missile defence and space warfare command networks. Earlier this month, the first deployment of US long-range B-52 bombers landed at newly upgraded facilities at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory, supported by dedicated US personnel. Most of these bombers are nuclear-capable. Similarly, the US Virginia-class submarines scheduled to rotate through HMAS Stirling in Western Australia are slated to carry new nuclear-tipped cruise missiles by 2032. Research compiled by the Australian Bases and US Involvement Project shows that the Albanese government is overseeing an unprecedented escalation of foreign military integration, with US personnel and global armaments corporations now present across more than 110 Australian installations.

“This level of integration effectively turns Australia into a forward staging ground for foreign conflict,” said Prof Richard Tanter, project leader and Senior Research Associate at the Nautilus Institute.

“To ensure Australia does not host, assist or enable nuclear arms operations, we need unambiguous, legally binding guardrails on our facilities. One way to establish these boundaries is to join the TPNW as it offers an established international benchmark that protects domestic sovereignty and guarantees Australian facilities remain strictly nuclear weapon free.” 

Nobel Peace Prize winning ICAN Australia echoed these concerns, noting that prioritising military integration with the US and escalating nuclear enmeshment risks alienating Australia’s closest Asia-Pacific neighbours, the majority of whom have already outlawed nuclear weapons by signing the TPNW. It also potentially contravenes Australia’s international obligations not to allow stationing of nuclear weapons under the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty.

“Eight years ago, Anthony Albanese said he would strengthen Australia’s stance on nuclear weapons by signing and ratifying the TPNW,” said A/Prof Tilman Ruff AO, ICAN founding chair.

“Now in his second term and with nuclear risks escalating alarmingly, what he should be doing in New York is keeping his word and signing the nuclear weapons ban treaty.” 

As Prime Minister Albanese accepts an award that makes Australia a forward base for US nuclear operations, he is missing a pivotal opportunity to show genuine global citizenship and promote peace, regional stability and nuclear disarmament by signing the TPNW.

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Media enquiries: 

• A/Prof Tilman Ruff:  0438 099 231
• Janet Craven:  0405 996 948 | janet@icanw.org 

Perth — The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Australia is deeply concerned about the risks to the local and wider community from both the AUKUS-linked Henderson Defence Precinct and the effective basing of US submarines at Stirling Naval Base.

The infrastructure expansion across Henderson and HMAS Stirling, combined with adjacent residential and housing developments, effectively establishes a major US naval base in Western Australia. This significantly elevates Perth as a high priority target if there is conflict.

This situation becomes more critical from 2030 onwards, when potentially nuclear-armed U.S. Virginia-class submarines begin operating in Australia – a move that could directly breach our commitments under the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (Rarotonga) Treaty. Currently the Government does not ask if US platforms are carrying nuclear weapons and instead relies on the Trump administration to respect our treaty obligations. ICAN Australia believes Australians have a right to know and a right to say no.

Add to this the possibility of reactor accidents on nuclear-powered vessels. There can be no assurances of absolute safety and this should be addressed with appropriate community action plans for nearby suburbs so that real risks can be managed. This must also include dealing with the long-term hazards associated with the management and disposal of radioactive waste created by nuclear-powered submarines. Beyond routine low-level maintenance waste, the highly enriched uranium fuel used in nuclear submarine reactors will present a serious security and environmental threat for millennia.

“At the start of its life, a nuclear submarine’s reactor fuel is equivalent to 24 nuclear weapons, and even spent fuel contains enough to make 15,” said Dr. Margaret Beavis, Co-Chair of ICAN Australia. “Any disposal site will require high-level military security for thousands of years.” 

First Nations communities have been repeatedly targeted to have this waste imposed on their country. Communities affected by British nuclear detonations in the 1950s continue to live with the ongoing health and environmental impact of the contamination of their land from.  

“I am very concerned that there are so many unanswered questions about Australia acquiring nuclear powered submarines. For starters, where is the nuclear waste that will be generated going to be stored? We know better than anyone that there are serious implications to going nuclear,” said Karina Lester, ICAN Ambassador and Yankunytjatjara Anangu woman whose community is still affected by nuclear waste from British testing.

Federal and state leaders must stop glossing over the grave risks of hosting nuclear submarines in Australia. To be a responsible partner and good neighbour, Australia must uphold its obligations to a nuclear-weapon-free region and bolster this position by making good on the Labor Party’s commitment to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 

Adelaide – Today the Australian Labor Party has strengthened their National Platform to facilitate the signature of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by confirming that AUKUS will not impede Australia’s progress on the signing and ratifying of the Treaty.

Linda Scott, National Policy Forum member, addressed delegates celebrating the updated platform, saying:

“This clause reaffirms in black and white in our binding platform that our defence programs, like AUKUS, will remain consistent with our longstanding commitment to nuclear non-proliferation. Nothing will stop us from keeping our commitment to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

She further reminded delegates of the Labor’s proud history on nuclear disarmament and profound responsibility of Labor to uphold the party’s values:  

“This is not a footnote. This is Labor’s founding faith… that peace is not passive, it is pursued. Disarmament is not a dream, it is a discipline.”

This updated platform was backed by strong calls at the National Conference to join TPNW in this term of government. Addressing the Conference, Federal member for Fremantle and Labor Convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of the TPNW Josh Wilson called for a parliamentary inquiry to progress Australia joining the Treaty and said:

“I’m determined to work with colleagues in the Party, in the Union movement, and civil society to see this Labor government sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

NSW Delegate Michael Pilbrow reminded the Conference of Prime Minister Albanese’s comments when he moved the historic motion in 2018 that joining the TNPW would be “Labor at its best.”

“We need to continue to be our best in government by progressing this promise with urgency.”

ICAN International’s Executive Director, The Hon Melissa Parke, a former Labor MP for the federal seat of Fremantle, welcomed the Conference outcome and called for this to be translated into urgent action.

“No timeline has yet been given by this Labor government for acting on this long standing party pledge. The matter is urgent. The precarious state of the world means we need to see the Prime Minister put pen to paper, without delay.”

“The TPNW would prevent nuclear weapons being brought to this country and it would stop current and future Australian governments from engaging in or assisting with nuclear weapon related activities in any way. Such activity would make Australia complicit and would put a nuclear target on our backs.”

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Australia is alarmed by the uranium enrichment deal announced today between the US and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia claims their enrichment capabilities will be for civilian purposes, but the deal does not include rigorous oversight mechanisms and it raises concerns that they will use this technology to create nuclear weapons, as they have previously stated. 

In a highly unstable region, this is concerning; Iran could see this as as a reason to pursue its own nuclear weapons program. Presently, Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons.

“It is reckless and irresponsible to pretend this is not going to enable Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear weapons,” said ICAN’s Executive Director Melissa Parke – who is attending the ALP’s national conference in Adelaide this week. “The US claim they want to remove the nuclear threat from Iran; this move could do the opposite.”

“The world is at a turning point; 100 countries have now signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

“The ALP committed to signing the TPNW when in government but are yet to do so. Australia’s signature would send a clear message: there is no safe place for nuclear weapons and facilitating their expansion through unsafe agreements like this will not advance efforts to bring stability to the Middle East,” said Ms. Parke. 

Amidst growing international tension and conflicts involving nuclear weapon states, a new feature documentary highlighting the global legacy of nuclear testing will make its Australian premiere in Adelaide this week. 

Written and directed by award-winning British-Canadian filmmaker, Daniel Everitt-Lock, and made over three years, across five countries, including interviews with over fifty victims, survivors and descendants, ‘Our Planet, The People, My Blood’ (2026, 83 mins) serves as a powerful reminder about the human and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons testing. 

Between 1945 and 1996, more than 2,000 nuclear tests were detonated globally, directly exposing Indigenous people, citizens, and military personnel, and contaminating multiple continents. For decades, the physical, psychological and environmental impact of these tests has remained largely absent from public discourse.

The film connects firsthand testimonies from service personnel, First Nations communities, and civilian populations in the Marshall Islands, Australia, the United States, Japan, the UK and beyond—many of whom continue to suffer from cancers, birth defects and generational health conditions. These personal accounts are framed within a broader investigation into government secrecy, institutional denial and the systematic refusal to acknowledge responsibility or provide compensation.

At the centre of the narrative is a landmark legal battle led by nuclear test descendant, Alan Owen, against the UK Ministry of Defence, seeking recognition and justice for affected veterans and communities. The story expands beyond UK borders, revealing how nuclear testing created a global network of victims linked by shared exposure, silence and injustice. 

As nuclear tensions and weapons rhetoric return to the global agenda, ‘Our Planet, The People, My Blood’ reframes nuclear testing not as Cold War history, but as an unresolved humanitarian crisis with ongoing political, ethical and public health implications.

Brought to Australia by Nobel Peace Prize–winning organisation, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) the film will have its Australian premiere ahead of the ALP National Conference in Adelaide on the 23rd of July (The Mercury Cinema), followed by a screening in Perth on the 1st of August (The Backlot Perth), alongside the Australian premiere of First We Bombed New Mexico, directed by Lois Lipman (US). 

Trailers: 

• Our Planet, The People, My Blood
• First We Bombed New Mexico

Screening Details:

• Thu, 23 Jul, 10am – 12pm ACST, The Mercury, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia

Including a live panel discussion with Director Daniel Everitt-Lock in conversation with The Hon Melissa Parke, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and former Labor Member for Fremantle, Karina Lester, Yankunytjatjara-Anangu woman, second-generation nuclear test survivor, ambassador for ICAN, and an AUKUS commissioner.

• Sat, 1 Aug, 1pm – 6pm AWST, The Backlot Perth, 21 Simpson St, West Perth WA 6005, Australia

With the Australian Premiere of ‘First We Bombed New Mexico’ (2023, 95 min), directed by Lois Lipman, and including a live panel discussion with: filmmaker, Daniel Everitt-Lock, ICAN Ambassador and nuclear veteran descendant, Maxine Goodwin, The Hon Josh Wilson MP, Federal Member for Fremantle, as well as the Hon Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN International.

Ahead of the Australian Labor Party National Conference in Adelaide, a cross-party group of ALP, Greens and Independent federal parliamentarians have united in calling on the Albanese government to sign and ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

In a video released today, members of the Parliamentary Friends of the TPNW highlighted the ongoing environmental and humanitarian devastation inflicted on First Nations, Pacific, and veteran communities by nuclear weapons testing. They stated that Australia has a profound responsibility to stand in solidarity with frontline survivors and ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again.

“In a time of grave conflict and uncertainty around the world, like-minded governments must take concerted action against nuclear proliferation,” stated Helen Haines, Independent member for Indi.

The TPNW is “a landmark agreement that is providing much needed momentum towards the abolition of humanity’s most dangerous invention,” stated Josh Wilson, Labor Member for Fremantle. “We welcome Australia’s active engagement with the TPNW process and we’re proud of Australia’s long-standing and resolute commitment to a world without nuclear weapons.”

“Our work is supported by a majority of federal parliamentarians representing Australia’s rich and diverse communities,” stated Mark Dreyfus, Labor Member for Isaacs.

“The treaty has given countries and citizens hope and a promising new pathway towards the abolition of these weapons,” stated Senator Jordon Steele-John, federal Greens member for Western Australia. 

ICAN Australia welcomed the statements and backed calls for the government to listen to its own parliamentary ranks by signing the TPNW within this parliamentary term.

“Seeing this extraordinary cross-party unity underscores both the urgency of this issue and the clear opportunity the ALP National Conference presents,” said Janet Craven, Director at ICAN Australia. “After eight years of talking about signing and engaging as an observer state, the Albanese Government must honour its own commitment and take decisive steps toward joining the Treaty.” 

About the Parliamentary Friends of TPNW – Parliamentary Friends of the TPNW is a forum for federal parliamentarians to meet and interact with nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation advocates on matters relating to the TPNW and to discuss ways to ensure the Treaty’s success into the future. The group was launched during the 46th Parliament in June 2020, co-chaired by Ged Kearney MP (Australian Labor Party), Ken O’Dowd MP (National Party) and Senator Jordon Steele-John (Australian Greens). Current members included in the video are:

• Josh Wilson MP (Labor Member for Fremantle and current co-chair)
• Senator Steph Hodgins-May (Greens Senator for Victoria)
• Dr Helen Haines MP (Independent Member for Indi and current co-chair)
• Renee Coffey MP (Labor Member for Griffith)
• Louise Miller-Frost MP (Labor Member for Boothby)
• Mark Dreyfus KC, MP (Labor Member for Isaacs)
• Senator Jordon Steele-John (Greens Senator for Western Australia)
• Nicolette Boele MP (Independent Member for Bradfield)
• Tania Lawrence MP (Labor Member for Hasluck)
• Matt Smith MP (Labor Member for Leichhardt)
• Senator David Shoebridge (Greens Senator for New South Wales and current co-chair)
• Senator Lisa Darmanin (Labor Senator for Victoria)
• Sharon Claydon MP (Labor Member for Newcastle)
• Alison Byrnes MP (Labor Member for Cunningham)
• Senator Charlotte Walker (Labor Senator for South Australia)
• Susan Templeman MP (Labor Member for Macquarie)
• Dr Andrew Leigh MP (Labor Member for Fenner)