New York, USA
September 20, 2017

Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano participated as one of the signees in the ceremonial signing of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York, United States of America.

In an information note posted by the UN website (www.un.org), the said treaty exemplifies the common aspiration of the UN member states towards achieving a “world without nuclear weapons”. It is the outcome of the global campaign that underscores the unacceptability of the usage of nuclear weapons by any means and of the hope that once adopted, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will renew the UN’s thrust to nuclear disarmament.

Furthermore, the Treaty also mirrors the increasing concerns on the continuing existence of nuclear weapons. It aims to raise awareness on the risks and the consequences these weapons pose when used.

The signing ceremony is a significant representation in establishing a political drive formed by the adoption of the Treaty. Also indicated in the document is the ruling that by standard international practice, only the Heads of State/Government and Ministers of Foreign Affairs are empowered to affix their signatures in the Treaty on behalf of their corresponding states.

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