The Nuclear Weapons Convention is supported by public opinion, governments , parliaments , the United Nations , international treaty bodies , civil society leaders and others:
Public Support for a Nuclear Weapons Convention
Public opinion polls around the world indicate that the abolition of nuclear weapons, in particular through the achievement of a nuclear weapons treaty, is supported by an overwhelming majority of people, including citizens of the nuclear weapons countries and their allies.
In addition, over 80 million people have signed the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Appeal calling for the global abolition of nuclear weapons, making this the petition with the most signatures in the world.
Governments
A Nuclear Weapons Convention is supported by most governments as expressed through their votes in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions calling for negotiations leading to a NWC. This includes some of the governments currently possessing nuclear weapons or with nuclear weapons capabilities China, India, Pakistan and North Kore .
The United Kingdom, while not supporting the United Nations resolutions, has indicated that a NWC will be required at some stage, and as such has commenced work on verification required for nuclear disarmament .
Canada, a member of NATO, while not supporting the United Nations resolutions, has supported informal consideration of the NWC through such initiatives as a roundtable meeting in Ottawa in 2002 (see NWC Monitor Issue 3 )
Parliaments
Parliamentarians have introduced the NWC into the parliaments of a number of countries in order to encourage governmental support. This includes the United Kingdom and the United States .
United Nations
The NWC is the subject of a resolution adopted every year at the United Nations General Assembly.
Treaty bodies: Non-Proliferation Treaty
In 2000, Malaysia and Costa Rica introduced a working paper on the NWC to the 2000 NPT Review Conference. Consultations are underway on an updated working paper for the 2005 NPT Review Conference.
Civil Society leaders: Mayors for Peace
The Mayors for Peace, an international network of mayors from over 550 cities, has initiated an Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons which calls for the commencement of negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention in 1995, with the conclusion of negotiations by 2010 and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020.
What is a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC)
Support for an NWC
Model NWC
Abolition 2000 NWC Working Group
Resources