MEDIA RELEASE: “Australia should end its ambivalent attitude towards nuclear weapons,” says Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation, ICAN.

October 28th, 2023

At the UN General Assembly’s First Committee today, Australia has failed to take a strong humanitarian stance against nuclear weapons. 

Key points:

• Australia abstained on the resolution on the Humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons (L.23) 136 voted in favour, 13 against, and 33 abstentions. 
• Australia abstained on the resolution on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (L.24). 124 voted in favour, 43 against, and 14 abstentions. 
• Australia voted yes on the resolution on victim assistance and environmental remediation for nuclear weapons impacts, but abstained on two paragraphs. (L.52) 171 voted in favour, 4 against and 6 abstentions.

Australia abstained on a resolution titled “Humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons”, as it had done in previous years. The resolution stresses “that it is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons never be used again, under any circumstances.” It also calls upon all states “to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, to prevent their vertical and horizontal proliferation and to achieve nuclear disarmament”. 136 states voted in favour, 13 against, with 33 abstentions. 

Australia maintained a position to abstain on a resolution titled “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” which, inter alia, “Calls upon all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date.” Australia abstained on this resolution for the first time in 2022, after the Coalition government’s practice of voting against the resolution.

Australia voted yes, with abstentions on certain paragraphs, on a resolution that has been introduced to the First Committee for the first time this year, titled “Addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons: providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons.” Australia abstained on paragraph 16 which notes the humanitarian provisions on victim assistance and environmental remediation contained in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as well as operational paragraph 3, which recognises “the responsibility to address the harms resulting from a detonation of using or testing a nuclear weapon or any other nuclear explosive device lies, respectively, with the Member States that have done so.”

“Australia should end its ambivalent attitude towards nuclear weapons,” said Gem Romuld, ICAN Australia Director. “These are horrific, unacceptable weapons no matter which country possesses them.”

In August 2023 Labor adopted an updated policy platform that acknowledges the ongoing consequences of nuclear testing in Australia and the Pacific, reaffirms Labor’s commitment to sign and ratify the treaty and commits Labor to take steps to assist victims and remediate environments impacted by nuclear testing. 

“While it’s positive that Australia voted yes on the victim assistance and environmental remediation resolution, it’s deeply disappointing that it abstained on two paragraphs that acknowledge the role of the TPNW in advancing international cooperation on this work, and would signal a commitment to further support survivors of nuclear weapons testing here in Australia”, said Romuld.

“Failing to recognise the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons at the UN contradicts Labor’s platform which ‘Acknowledges the deep and ongoing consequences of nuclear testing in Australia, which have been borne disproportionately by our First Nations peoples, as well as testing in the Pacific.’ “There is no good reason for Australia to abstain on the resolution that acknowledges the devastating humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons,” said Romuld.

“Voting yes on the TPNW motion would be in line with popular support for the treaty and the Labor government’s own commitment to sign and ratify it. We hope that as Labor continues to engage positively with the TPNW, we will see Australia’s position shift in the future.” 

The UN votes come just weeks after the 70th anniversary of the first mainland nuclear test  at Emu Field in South Australia, and the call from 132 civil society organisations on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to demonstrate Australia’s commitment to nuclear disarmament and assist nuclear victims and impacted environments by signing the TPNW.

Australia will observe the Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW at the UN from 27 November to 1 December 2023.