Australia

The Australian government has opposed the idea of a ban on nuclear weapons since the beginning. It has argued that a key problem with the TPNW is that it "seeks to delegitimise extended deterrence” (bit.ly/2mX63ek). In December 2018, the Labor Party committed to “sign and ratify the Ban Treaty” after taking into account the need to ensure complementarity with the NPT and an effective verification and enforcement architecture (bit.ly/2mmfEdT). Melbourne and Sydney are among 20 cities in Australia that have committed to ICAN’s Cities Appeal.

• Australia should ensure that nuclear weapons do not have a role in its national defence plans and security policies. It should renounce the retention and potential use of nuclear weapons on its behalf, for instance through a declaratory statement, and refrain from endorsing future alliance statements in support of weapons of mass destruction.
• Australia should urgently sign and ratify the TPNW, and encourage other states to adhere to the Treaty. Until it is in a position to do so it should – in line with its obligations under the NPT – welcome the TPNW as a valuable contribution towards the common aspiration of a world without nuclear weapons, attend its meetings of states parties as an observer, and work with its states parties on practical steps towards disarmament.