AMN
A global treaty banning nuclear weapons was adopted at the United Nations last night despite opposition from major nuclear powers. The treaty was adopted by a vote of 122 in favour, with one country – the Netherlands – voting against it.
Singapore abstained. Costa Rica’s ambassador, Elayne Whyte Gomez, the president of the UN conference that negotiated the treaty, said they have managed to sow the first seeds of a world free of nuclear weapons.
None of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons – including the US, Russia, India, China, North Korea and Israel – took part in the negotiations or the vote. Even Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic attacks, boycotted the talks as did most NATO countries.