The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons would establish a global prohibition of the use, threat, production, or transfer of nuclear weapons.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed us that New Zealand strongly supported the negotiations that led to the treaty’s adoption by the United Nations, and was among the first countries to sign it. The treaty is considered an important step towards a world free of nuclear weapons—a longstanding goal of New Zealand Governments, and of New Zealanders generally. Its ratification would be a natural progression of New Zealand’s antinuclear policy and international efforts on disarmament and humanitarian issues.

The treaty would also fill a gap in the “legal architecture” by matching the existing prohibition of both other types of weapons of mass destruction—chemical and biological weapons.

The ministry’s national interest analysis for the treaty is appended to this report.