UN watchdog slams UK nuclear disarmament record

The United Nations Association – UK, an organisation based in London which calls for action at the United Nations, has given it’s annual verdict on Britain’s activities on key issues.

On nuclear disarmament it issued the government a red card, citing failure to meet obligations on nuclear disarmament and the approach taken to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. So far the UK has boycotted all meetings associated with the Treaty and stated that it does not intend to sign.

Britain’s failure to live up to its disarmament obligations and its dismissive approach to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is contributing to a deterioration in nuclear security.

The Global Britain Scorecard checks whether Britain “practices what it preaches”. The UK has long had a policy position in favour of a nuclear weapons-free world, but has been unwilling to take serious steps towards achieving it.

In the report the UNA said:

“The UK has made little progress on its disarmament obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty since the welcomed, but modest, reductions announced in 2010. Rather than working in “good faith” for a world free of nuclear weapons, Britain has failed to participate in multiple initiatives and international fora aimed at making multilateral progress on disarmament, and has failed to follow UN guidance to adopt a constructive approach to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

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