Multilateral Treaties in Support of Sustainable Development Open for Signature During Annual Treaty Event at Headquarters, 24-27 September

In a continuing effort to encourage wider participation in the multilateral treaty framework, the United Nations is hosting the annual Treaty Event at Headquarters from 24 to 27 September, inviting Member States to sign or become party to multilateral treaties by depositing instruments of ratification or accession with the Secretary-General.

Coinciding with the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly, the 2019 Treaty Event is devoted to the promotion of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through the multilateral treaty framework.  The 17 interconnected Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty and hunger, expand access to health, education, justice and jobs, while protecting the planet from environmental degradation.

The highlighted treaties address social, economic and environmental challenges, and work towards peaceful and inclusive societies and a clean planet for sustainable development.  They cover a variety of areas, such as the protection of human rights, including gender equality; environmental sustainability; disarmament; prevention of terrorism; and road safety.

Two special events will bring together new signatories and ratifiers of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the “Escazú Agreement”.  Heads of State and Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs and other Government representatives are expected at these high-level ceremonies on Thursday, 26 September, in the Treaty Event area next to the delegates’ entrance.

At 10 a.m., a special event will be held for the “Escazú Agreement”, the regional agreement on environmental matters named after the place in Costa Rica where it was adopted on 4 March 2018.  It seeks to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by ensuring that Governments, businesses, communities and individuals all have access to timely and reliable information, can participate in decisions that affect them, and have access to justice in environmental matters.  The Treaty needs 11 ratifications to enter into force.

And at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 26 September, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a high-level ceremony will be held for States to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  This first legally binding international instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons has been signed by 60 States and ratified by 15 so far.  It prohibits a full range of nuclear-weapon-related activities, such as undertaking to develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, as well as the use of or threat to use these weapons.  The Treaty will enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 countries.

The Escazú Agreement and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons are just 2 of more than 560 multilateral instruments deposited with the Secretary‑General, covering all aspects of the Organization’s work.  The Treaty Event may be used to sign, ratify or accede to any of them.

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

For more information on the Treaty Event, please visit http://treaties.un.org.  On social media, follow #ForPeopleForPlanet #EscazúAgreement #AcuerdoDeEscazú.

Media contact:  Julia Hagl, Department of Global Communications, at email:  hagl@un.org; or tel.:  +1 212 963 0943.