Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty Written Into International Law on January 22nd!

January 22, 2021, was a historic day for nuclear weapons. On this day, at midnight, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force, establishing in international law a categorical ban on nuclear weapons, seventy-five years after their development and first use.

Although the Treaty is now officially written into international law, the Treaty does not legally apply to the United States, because we have not signed or ratified it. But that does not mean we will not be feeling the moral force of the Treaty. All nuclear weapons, including the 3,900 in the US stockpile, have now been declared unlawful by the international community, signaling a change in global norms surrounding nuclear weapons.

On Friday, Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center celebrated with two events to mark the occasion. In the early afternoon, friends and allies gathered in North Boulder for a No Nukes Rally (pictured above). Festivities included singing and chalk-art calling for global peace.

In the evening, we were honored to co-host a film screening with the Naropa Joanna Macy Center, about the history and significance of the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. For those who weren't able to attend the film screening, you can watch the documentary for free online here.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons' entry into force gives us hope for a future in which nuclear weapons are obsolete. However, our own local landscape will continue to bear the consequences of nuclear weapons development of generations past, a haunting legacy that will linger for hundreds of generations into the future.