Treaties & arms control
TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons)
A 2017 UN treaty that prohibits all activities related to nuclear weapons — development, possession, testing, threats of use — for state parties.
The TPNW entered into force in January 2021. 75 states are parties to the TPNW as of September 2026. [1, 2, 3] None of the nine nuclear-armed states have signed; the treaty is intended to stigmatize possession and build pressure toward eventual abolition. ICAN, the lead civil-society coalition behind the TPNW, won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. [4]
Sources
- 1.Source: United Nations Treaty Collection, Status of treaties, ch. XXVI-9: Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — retrieved Oct 2026
- 2.Source: Hiroshima Prefectural Government, Status of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (as of 23 Sep 2026) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 3.Source: Nuclear Threat Initiative, Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 4.Source: Norwegian Nobel Committee (nobelprize.org), The Nobel Peace Prize for 2017: press release (6 Oct 2017) — retrieved Oct 2026
Related terms
NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)
The 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which recognizes five nuclear-weapon states and obligates them to pursue disarmament.
CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty)
A 1996 treaty banning all nuclear explosions in all environments, for both military and civilian purposes.