Date: 24/10/2020
The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) extends its warmest congratulations to the governments of all those states that have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), a treaty which prohibits the development, testing, production, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. Under the terms of the treaty, the treaty will come into force in 90 days from today.
Moreover, METO extends its warm congratulations to campaigners all over the world and to the International Campaign to Abolition Nuclear Weapons whose work has been instrumental in achieving this monumental milestone.
METO considers that the TPNW has an important role to play in the denuclearisation of the world and the achieving of a WMD free-zone in the Middle East (WMDFZ). We also believe that the creation of a WMDFZ in the Middle East, will assist with the ratification of the TPNW by all states of the zone.
Disarmament starts when states start to talk, and now that a treaty is about to enter into force we are deep into the process of disarmament and we hope to see ALL states of the Middle East signing and ratifying the TPNW and working closely together on a text for a WMD free zone to accompany it.
Sharon Dolev, Executive Director of the Middle East Treaty Organisation said, “Entry into force of the TPNW shows the power of civil society when they decide to achieve what they consider possible despite the superpowers trying to push back. It’s always funny to see how nuclear armed states say that nuclear weapons are here to protect mankind, but now that we know that these devices can bring the end of civilisation the superpowers are now trying to protect their nuclear weapons from civil society.”