CITIES APPEAL:
Yarra, VIC
The ICAN Cities Appeal was endorsed unanimously by the City of Yarra on 18 December, 2018.
MOTION
1. That in the matter of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), originally established in Australia in 2007 and awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for their ground-breaking efforts to achieve a global treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, Council:
- (a) congratulate ICAN on their historic achievement and contribution toward global nuclear disarmament;
- (b) endorse the ICAN Cities Appeal which states that:”Our city is deeply concerned about the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to communities throughout the world. We firmly believe that our residents have the right to live in a world free from this threat. Any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental, would have catastrophic, far-reaching and long- lasting consequences for people and the environment. Therefore, we warmly welcome the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by the United Nations in 2018, and we call on our national government to sign and ratify it without delay”; and
- (c) request the Mayor to write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, calling for the Federal Government to sign and ratify the Treaty on behalf of the Australian people.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Image: Mayor of Yarra (2018/19) Danae Bosler with the ICAN Nobel Peace Prize flag at the City of Yarra council chamber.
FURTHER ACTION
2020: The City of Yarra submitted a motion in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) for discussion at the 2020 National General Assembly.
In August 2020, after receiving submissions from local councils across the nation, the Australian Local Government Association board wrote to the Senator the Hon. Marise Payne Minister for Foreign Affairs with a message: Councils urge the Australian Government to sign and ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
2021: Mayor Gabrielle de Vietri attended a special Councillors Roundtable hosted by ICAN Australia to celebreate the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in March 2021.
Screenshots of councilors attending an online Councilor Roundtable in March 2021.