| Summary/Abstract |
The recently adopted Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (or the ‘ban treaty’) is not a viable legal vehicle for eliminating nuclear weapons; it does not establish international legal norms; and it might, depending on how it is implemented, do harm to existing non-proliferation efforts. Its governmental and non-governmental proponents appear to be motivated by a sincere concern for the humanitarian risks posed by nuclear weapons and a desire for speedier progress in eliminating them. But this particular text, as a legal matter, does not make a positive contribution to achieving nuclear-disarmament objectives.
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