Annual Headquarters Event for 2017 to Promote Multilateral Instruments that Safeguard Humanity, 19-22 September

New Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Opens for Signature

In a continuing effort to encourage wider participation in the multilateral treaty framework, United Nations Headquarters will host the annual Treaty Event from 19 to 22 September.

During the event, Member States are invited to sign or become a party to multilateral treaties deposited with the United Nations Secretary‑General by depositing instruments of ratification or accession.

The 2017 Treaty Event is devoted to promoting multilateral instruments that safeguard humanity, such as treaties on human rights, refugees and stateless persons, health, trade, transport, terrorism and criminal matters, law of the sea, outer space, disarmament, climate change and other environmental issues.

“I strongly urge all States to join multilateral treaties concluded under the auspices of the United Nations as part of a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in his invitation letter to Member States.

Among the highlighted instruments is the new Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted on 7 July at a United Nations conference in New York convened to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading to their total elimination.

“The Secretary-General hopes that this new Treaty will promote inclusive dialogue and renewed international cooperation aimed at achieving the long overdue objective of nuclear disarmament,” his Spokesman said, following the instrument’s adoption.

The Treaty — adopted by a recorded vote of 122 in favour to 1 against (Netherlands), with 1 abstention (Singapore) — prohibits a range of nuclear‑weapon‑related activities, such as developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, acquiring, possessing or stockpiling nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and using or threatening to use those weapons.

Dignitaries are invited to sign the Treaty and hand their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval to the Secretary-General at a ceremony to be held on 20 September, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.  The Treaty will enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 countries.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is one of more than 560 multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary-General, covering all aspects of the work of the United Nations.  The Treaty Event may be used to sign, ratify or accede to any of those instruments.

Held annually since 2000, the Treaty Event has since resulted in more than 2,000 related actions, including signatures, ratifications and accessions.

For more information on the Treaty Event, please visit http://treaties.un.org.

For more information on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, please visit www.un.org/disarmament/ptnw.

Media Contacts for the Treaty Event:  Martina Donlon, Department of Public Information, at email: donlon@un.org, tel.: +1 212 963 6816; and for the Signing Ceremony for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons:  Soo Hyun Kim, Office for Disarmament Affairs, at email:  kim12@un.org, tel.: +1 917 367 3596.