ITUC-AP Statement on TPNW

In this statement, the ITUC-AP joins the celebrations for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) which enters into force on 22 January 2021. It hopes that today’s entry into force will further promote the Treaty to other states and be a major step towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons. However, it expresses concern that the US, Russia, and other original nuclear powers have turned their backs on the Treaty.

The ITUC-AP shares its concern that Asia and the Pacific is the only region in which annual growth of military expenditure has been continuous since 1989. It calls for reductions in military spending as well as the conversion of military industries into civil and sustainable industries to revitalise public services and public investment, and create decent jobs.