MEDIA RELEASE

Trump is putting nuclear disarmament on the agenda, Australia must join the ban.

Last week, US President Donald Trump proposed to cut the US defence budget by half and to stop producing new nuclear weapons. “We already have so many,” he said, “you could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over.”

In response to Trump’s statements, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Australia) Director, Gem Romuld, said: 

“Trump’s statements to stop spending money on nuclear weapons are a welcome development, and we hope will lead to action to reduce stockpiles. They should strengthen Australia’s resolve to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), as Labor has promised to do in government, and to cease the policy of “extended nuclear deterrence” (END) once and for all. 

“Relying on END signals support for the use of nuclear weapons, which would wreak a humanitarian catastrophe on hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of people.

“We welcome any efforts on nuclear disarmament, but if President Trump is serious then he should join the TPNW and encourage other nuclear-armed states to do so as well.”

The US spends half of its disposable (what’s left after entitlement and interest payments) federal budget on defence, and in 2023 more than $50 billion was spent on nuclear weapons alone. Russia and the US possess 90% of all nuclear weapons globally, with Russia possessing 5580 warheads and the US possessing 5044. Modern nuclear weapons have many times the explosive yield of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The smoke from burning cities ignited by a nuclear war, involving just 2% of the global nuclear arsenal, would plummet global temperatures, decimate agriculture, disrupt ocean food chains, and condemn over two billion people to starve to death.

The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, provides a pathway under international law for nuclear armed states to disarm in a time bound verifiable manner. Since it entered force in 2021, the TPNW has been signed or ratified by half of all the world’s countries, including most of Australia’s neighbours in South-East Asia and the Pacific. 

From 3 – 7 March 2025, the Third Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. An ICAN delegation will be present, including Yankunytjatjara-Anangu woman and second-generation nuclear test survivor, Karina Lester, and ICAN Campaigner, Jemila Rushton.

MEDIA RELEASE

It’s 89 to midnight: Doomsday Clock announcement signifies nuclear threat is greater than ever

This morning (10am EST Tuesday January 28), The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists reset the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds to midnight, surpassing its previous setting of 90 seconds to midnight. The new time indicates we are now at the most dangerous moment in history since the Doomsday Clock was launched in 1947—two years after the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  

Today’s new setting of the global Doomsday Clock highlights the need for urgent action to reduce the growing threat of the accidental or deliberate use of nuclear weapons. 

The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic representation of our proximity to annihilation (midnight), is one of the most authoritative annual assessments of how humanity is tracking on the biggest issues: the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and global heating. Each year in January, it is set by the science and security board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists – scientists and other experts with deep knowledge of nuclear technology and climate science.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists attribute their decision to move the clock forward largely because of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and threats to use them, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, the Russian-Ukraine war, conflict in the Middle East, biological/pandemic threats and the escalating climate crisis.

With President Trump taking office in the US, he gains the ultimate authority over America’s nuclear arsenal and regains control of the nuclear “football,” launch codes, and authorizations—in other words he gains the power to commit mass murder and devastate our planet.

In response to the new time, Tilman Ruff AO, Associate Professor in the Nossal Institute for Global Health in the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne and co-founder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Australia), said: 

“Nuclear-armed states building nuclear weapons and delivery systems designed to last till the end of this century belies their obligation to negotiate a world freed from nuclear weapons. The only thing the figleaf of nuclear deterrence is reliably deterring is nuclear disarmament.

“We are “teetering near the edge” of unprecedented danger, but must not lose hope. We need action by governments and people that comes much closer to matching the immensity and urgency of the danger. Our best hope lies in the 2017 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), now joined by very nearly half of the world’s nations, with a combined population of 2.5 billion.”

“The TPNW for the first time makes the worst weapon of mass destruction illegal in international law. It has changed nuclear debates and is stigmatising nuclear weapons and threats. It has already stimulated financial institutions managing over four trillion US dollars in funds to divest from companies profiting from building nuclear weapons. It is bringing to life long-overdue assistance for the victims of nuclear weapons use. And it provides the only internationally agreed framework for verifiably and irreversibly eliminating nuclear weapons. As Labor has committed to do, joining this treaty is the best immediate step responsible nations can take to wind back the Doomsday Clock.”

Indonesia and the Solomon Islands are among the newest state parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), making Australia increasingly an outlier within the Asia-Pacific region.

The Indonesian foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, and Solomon Islands minister of foreign affairs and external trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka, deposited their country’s instruments of ratification at a high-level ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday (Wednesday morning in Australia), bringing the total number of states parties to 73. A further 25 states have signed but not yet ratified the treaty. 

Indonesia is the largest country by population to have ratified the landmark UN agreement to date. Australia shares a close economic, diplomatic and defence relationship with the Muslim-majority nation, which is one of Australia’s closest neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region. Last month, the Australian defence minister, Richard Marles, announced that Australia and Indonesia had strengthened security ties with the signing of the Australia‑Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement.

According to the Indonesian government, its decision to ratify the TPNW aligned with its constitutional mandate to promote peace and security, and sent a clear message to the world that “the possession and use of nuclear weapons cannot be justified for any reason”.

The Solomon Islands and Australia also have a strong and long standing relationship. Australia is an important economic partner to the Solomon Islands, as well as their largest development partner. The Solomon Islands is the 11th Pacific island state to ratify or accede to the TPNW. It signed the treaty at the same time as ratifying it.

Sierra Leone also ratified the TPNW at the same time. 

Australia has not yet signed or ratified the TPNW, although Labor has said that it “is considering the TPNW systematically and methodically as part of [their] ambitious agenda to advance nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament”. Prior to becoming prime minister, Anthony Albanese voiced strong support for the treaty.

Jemila Rushton, Acting Director of ICAN Australia said:

“Today’s ratifications reaffirm that nuclear weapons have no place in our region, or in our defence policies, and should make Australians ask why our government remains at odds with the vast majority of our neighbours. It is time for Australia to demonstrate it is serious about regional peace and security, and for Labor to make good on its promise to sign and ratify the TPNW in government.”

Dr Muhadi Sugiono, ICAN campaigner in Indonesia and lecturer at Universitas Gadjah Mada, said:

“By ratifying the TPNW, Indonesia is asserting its right to exist in peace, free from the shadow of nuclear threats. It’s sending a strong message to other states, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, that nuclear weapons are totally unacceptable and illegal. It’s a principled position, based on respect for international law and a recognition of the catastrophic harm that nuclear weapons inflict across national boundaries. And it’s consistent with Indonesia’s long record of advocacy for nuclear disarmament as a leading member of the Non-Aligned Movement.”

Maverick Peter Seda from the Malaita Provincial Youth Council, an ICAN partner organisation in the Solomon Islands, said:

“This is amazing news for all the young people in the Solomon Islands who have worked tirelessly to promote this outcome. We are committed to the goal of a nuclear-free Pacific and world.”

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) congratulates Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and Sierra Leone on ratifying the nuclear ban treaty – the first comprehensive, globally applicable prohibition on nuclear weapons. The TPNW establishes a framework for eliminating existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons and addressing the harm caused by their use and testing. It was negotiated in 2017 and entered into force in 2021. 

Relevant links:

• https://www.icanw.org/indonesia
• https://www.icanw.org/solomon_islands
• https://www.icanw.org/sierra_leone

Photos credit: Derek French / ICAN.

MEDIA RELEASE: Australian Lawyers call on PM to sign nuclear weapon ban treaty

Today, on the 79th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of the Japanese city of Nagasaki, a group of Australian lawyers have called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) “without further delay.”

In an open letter signed by thirty-five lawyers and international law academics, Lawyers for Peace stated that “With two nuclear-armed powers involved in heated conflicts overseas, and the risk of nuclear escalation growing, now is a vital time to take necessary steps for nuclear disarmament.”

They write, “We believe that international law can play a powerful role in nuclear disarmament and the creation of new norms, leading to increased peace and security for all.”

The letter—whose signatories include Robert Tickner AO, Former Australian Minister and Humanitarian Campaigner, Katie Robertson, Human Rights Lawyer and Director of Stateless Legal Clinic, and Corinne Grant, Human Rights Lawyer, Comedian, and Television Presenter, among others—highlights the complementarity between the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the TPNW, stating that together they create a “robust legal framework for a nuclear-free world.”

“The TPNW enhances the NPT through a comprehensive prohibition on nuclear weapons that applies to all parties. It also establishes frameworks for the verified, time-bound elimination of nuclear-weapon programmes and for addressing harms caused by nuclear weapons.”

Rachel Croucher, a member of Lawyers for Peace and a co-author of the letter, stated, “I joined Lawyers for Peace because of my vision for a safer and fairer world for all.”

“I believe that our government signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is a crucial step in achieving this vision.”

“This treaty is not just a symbolic gesture but a tangible step towards global disarmament. By acting now, Australia can demonstrate its commitment to international peace and security and set a powerful example for other nations.”

24 July 2024

The Australian-born Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is among 125 civil society organisations to join a statement delivered to a conference of the nations that have joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the United Nations in Geneva this week. 

The statement addresses the AUKUS trilateral military partnership and calls for AUKUS members to “make firm their commitments to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament by joining the TPNW as a matter of urgency.”

“There remains an urgent need to critique the nuclear proliferation risks posed by AUKUS,” it reads.

“The Australian decision to enter into agreements around nuclear-powered submarines was made on the assumption that it would be permitted to divert nuclear material for a non-proscribed military purpose, by utilising Paragraph 14 of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA). The ‘loophole’ of Paragraph 14 potentially allows non-nuclear-armed states to acquire nuclear material which would be removed from IAEA safeguards.

“Australia’s proposed acquisition of large quantities of HEU outside of usual IAEA safeguards and scrutiny jeopardises non-proliferation efforts and fissile material security. This conference has the mandate to prepare recommendations for the upcoming Review Conference to strengthen rather than weaken the global non-proliferation regime by moving to close the Paragraph 14 loophole. States represented here today should negotiate the closure of the Paragraph 14 loophole in the NPT.

“To eliminate the risk of non-nuclear weapons states acquiring nuclear weapons grade HEU, all states, including AUKUS members, should refrain from sharing the technology and materials that will be transferred if Australia and others acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The paragraph 14 loophole undermines the NPT and needs to be closed.”

Those who signed the statement are “concerned that AUKUS may exacerbate regional tensions, fuel an arms race and increase risks of war in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly involving China and the United States, and will increase the danger of nuclear escalation in any such conflict.”

Acting Director of ICAN Australia Jemila Rushton said “there are real concerns among Australia’s neighbours, trading partners and international civil society about Australia’s planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. The current alarming risk of nuclear war demands Australia choose to be part of the solution to nuclear dangers rather than being part of the problem by continuing to contribute to the possible use of nuclear weapons and intensifying proliferation risks. The best way that Australia can do this is by joining the TPNW.” 

The civil society signatories call for AUKUS members to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) to “legally confirm that they will not acquire or host nuclear weapons, nor assist with their use or threat of use” and “make firm their commitments to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, as a matter of urgency.”

Thomas Huckans, Youth Activist from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and its youth initiative, Reverse The Trend (RTT), USA delivered the statement. He said “It was an honour to speak on behalf of ICAN Australia and to engage directly with the grave threat posed to the disarmament architecture by the transfer of nuclear submarines to Australia. As a youth activist, my vision is to one day see a global atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation, and I want to ensure that current leaders do not endanger the world young people will soon inherit.”

Link to video and to read the full statement: https://icanw.org.au/aukus_npt_2024/ 

In a new video released today, members of the Parliamentary Friends of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons renew their support for Australia joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Their joint message demonstrates how parliamentarians from across the political spectrum are working together to see the Treaty signed and ratified.

Featured in the video are Susan Templeman MP (ALP), Member for Macquarie, Jordan, Steele-John (GRN), Senator for Western Australia, Monique Ryan MP (IND), Member for Kooyong, Russell Broadbent (IND), Member for Monash, Sam Lim MP (ALP), Member for Tangney, Louise Pratt (ALP), Senator for Western Australia, Lidia Thorpe (IND), Senator for Victoria, Sharon Claydon MP (ALP), Member for Newcastle, Josh Burns MP (ALP), Member for Macnamara, and Josh Wilson MP (ALP), Member for Fremantle.

In the video, they state: “The TPNW is giving countries and citizens across the world hope, and a new and promising pathway towards the abolition of these weapons. […] It’s about continuing Australian leadership when it comes to nuclear disarmament.  It’s about working with our closest neighbours and collaborating with our Pacific family. It’s about recognising and supporting victims of nuclear weapons testing. For First Nations survivors, for Australia’s nuclear veterans.”

In response to the video, Jemila Rushton, Acting Director for ICAN Australia said: “Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum have today reaffirmed that they are ‘working together to see the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty signed and ratified’.

“In these times of incredible global insecurity, this joint message of hope demonstrates that leaders can come together across party lines to address the critical existential issues of our time.

“We now need to see this hope turned into action and the TPNW signed without delay. The Labor Party has committed to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in government. Today’s video release demonstrates that support in the parliament for Australia to join this treaty continues to grow.  Now is the time to act.

“Banning nuclear weapons, the worst of the weapons of mass destruction, has always been an issue that is beyond party politics. ICAN Australia will continue to work alongside parliamentarians in Government, in Opposition and on the crossbench until the TPNW is signed and ratified. 

In the video, they state:

Today, 93 countries around the world are signatories to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons – the TPNW. 

They are signed up to the legally-binding commitment to comprehensively ban nuclear weapons.

Developing them, testing them, producing them, assisting with them, possessing them, threatening to use them, and using them are banned.

The TPNW is giving countries and citizens across the world hope, and a new and promising pathway towards the abolition of these weapons.

It’s about understanding that what we cannot prepare for and what we can adequately respond to, we must prevent. 

It’s about continuing Australian leadership when it comes to nuclear disarmament. 

It’s about working with our closest neighbours and collaborating with our Pacific family.

It’s about recognising and supporting victims of nuclear weapons testing. For First Nations survivors, for Australia’s nuclear veterans.

As members of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of the TPNW, we are working together to see the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty signed and ratified.

We are proud of our country’s commitment to getting rid of other inhumane weapons, like landmines, cluster munitions, biological, and chemical weapons.

We welcome Australia’s engagement with the TPNW under the Albanese Government and we pay tribute to the community activism being undertaken in support of Australia joining this treaty.

History is calling.  

Media inquiries: Jesse Boylan: 0457 777 504 – jesse@icanw.org