RUTH SUPPORTS UN NUCLEAR WEAPONS BAN AS TREATY OPENS FOR SIGNATURES
On 20th September, the eve of International Peace Day, the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons opened for signatures at the UN Headquarters in New York
The treaty was acceded by 122 state parties on 7 July 2017, with a notable absence from the UK and other nuclear weapon states, and will legally bind all ratifying countries not to hold, develop or test nuclear weapons.
To mark this significant step towards a world free from nuclear weapons, Scottish CND staged a “Citizens Signing Ceremony” in front of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, where people could sign a giant copy of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
SNP MSP for Cunninghame South, Ruth Maguire, a long-standing opponent of nuclear weapons, was one of the MSPs who added their signature to the copy of the Treaty.
Commenting, Ruth said:
“This is a historic day for those citizens and countries who have long been campaigning for a world free from immoral nuclear weapons – many at great personal risk to themselves.
The 122 counties signing the Treaty today are leading the way for the rest of the world to follow.
Disgracefully, the UK government did not even take part in the negotiations around the treaty, let alone sign it. This means that Scotland, not being an independent country, has no official representation.
I am hugely grateful to groups like Scottish CND who tirelessly make sure that Scotland’s voice is heard – from attending the negotiations in New York, to staging today’s Citizens Signing Ceremony – and will continue to support them until we achieve a world free from nuclear weapons.”
Secretary of Ayrshire CND, and one of Ruth’s constituents, Arthur West (pictured with Ruth), added:
“Our organisation and the wider peace movement in Scotland are delighted that the Global Ban on Nuclear Weapons treaty is now open for countries to sign .
Countries are already preparing to sign this treaty and it will go into international law when the number of countries signing reaches 50.
We are very pleased that local MSP, Ruth Maguire, has given public support to this ground breaking and important treaty.”
Ruth Maguire MSP 