Switzerland continues to oppose signing UN nuclear weapons ban treaty

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - The Swiss government continues to refuse to sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

The Swiss government argues that committing to a world without nuclear weapons within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would be more expedient, the federal government said in a statement released on Wednesday.

For a variety of reasons, the government believes that a change in direction is inappropriate at this time.

Joining the TPNW is not in Switzerland's best interests in the current international environment, where security policy concerns have resurfaced with a new war in Europe, the statement said.

According to the Swiss government's communication, the impact of the nuclear weapons ban is low because it is not recognized by nuclear weapon owners and almost all Western and European countries.

"However, a world without nuclear weapons can only be achieved with, and not against, the possessor states," the government writes.

Switzerland will, however, continue to demand that the concerned states comply with their disarmament obligations, the government said.

The TPNW is an international agreement that prohibits nuclear weapons development, production, testing, acquisition, stockpiling, transportation, deployment, and use. The threat of using nuclear weapons is also prohibited.

The agreement came into force on Jan. 22, 2021. To date, around 70 countries have signed the treaty.

The US, Russia, China, France, UK, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea all have nuclear weapons and have not yet signed the TPNW.