New treaty banning nuclear weapons signed at UN but the countries that matter boycott it

With the North Korean nuclear crisis looming large, 51 countries on Wednesday lined up to sign a new treaty outlawing nuclear weapons that has been fiercely opposed by the US and other nuclear powers.

The treaty was adopted by 122 countries at the United Nations in July following negotiations led by Austria, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand.

None of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons – the US, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel – took part in the negotiations.

Nato condemned the treaty, saying it may in fact be counterproductive by creating divisions.

As leaders formally signed on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly, Secretary General Antonio Guterres hailed as historic the first multilateral disarmament treaty in more than two decades. But Guterres acknowledged that much work was needed to rid the world of its stockpile of 15,000 atomic warheads.

“Today we rightfully celebrate a milestone. Now we must continue along the hard road towards the elimination of nuclear arsenals,” said Guterres.