Nuclear Weapons are Illegal Now

 

From the General Board of Church and Society:

This week will be historic: nuclear weapons will be illegal under international law.

Today, January 22, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will enter into force. Nuclear weapons will become illegal under international law.

This day is the culmination of over a decade of advocacy to ban nuclear weapons. The General Board of Church and Society, worked in partnership with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, other faith groups, and over 135 nations to adopt the treaty in 2017.

The new treaty bans nations from developing, producing, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons, or storing nuclear weapons on their lands.

The United Methodist Church supports the abolition of nuclear weapons. The Book of Resolutions states “We reject the possession of nuclear weapons as a permanent basis for securing and maintaining peace.” (#6129, “The United Methodist Church and Peace”)