Malaysia Welcomes 50th Ratification to the TPNW

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia welcomed the 50th ratification to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), paving way for the treaty to come into force on January 22, 2021, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Honduras is the 50th and latest country to ratify the Treaty on Oct 24, 2020, said the statement. The TPNW is a legally binding international instrument to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons. Adopted at the UN on 7 July 2017, it seeks to ban all activities related to nuclear weapons, including its development, testing, manufacturing, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, use and stationing. The Treaty will make nuclear weapons illegal under international law. The Ministry, also known as Wisma Putra, said Malaysia signed the treaty on Sept 30 this year, making it the 46th State Party to the Treaty. At the signing ceremony, Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has pledged Malaysia’s support and unwavering commitment to realise the long-overdue goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. “Malaysia reaffirms its unwavering commitment towards nuclear disarmament and will continue to work closely with other partners to attain a world free of the threat of nuclear weapons,” it said. Subsequent to Malaysia’s ratification, Tuvalu, Jamaica, Nauru and Honduras ratified the TPNW. Malaysia also encouraged other nations to expedite their ratifications or accessions to the Treaty, the statement said. “Malaysia encourages Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear-armed States to recognise that the continued existence of nuclear weapons is a risk to all countries, and that the elimination of these weapons is necessary for our collective security,” the statement added. -- BERNAMA