It encourages people in all countries to inspire, persuade and pressure their governments to initiate and support negotiations for a treaty banning nuclear weapons. It does so by shifting the disarmament debate to “focus on the humanitarian threat posed by nuclear weapons, drawing attention to their unique destructive capacity, their indiscriminate targeting, the debilitating impact of a detonation on medical infrastructure and relief measures, and the long-lasting effects of radiation on the surrounding area.”   An International Steering Group of 10 national and international peace organizations provides support and leadership input. Works with 500+ partners in 100+ countries.

Projects:

• ICAN Parliamentary Pledge – Parliamentarians played a major role in realizing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The pledge is a commitment by parliamentarians around the world to work for their government to join the treaty.
• Don’t Bank on the Bomb –Appeals to financial institutions to stop investing in the nuclear arms industry, as any use of nuclear weapons would violate international law and have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Has identified and put together a list of hundreds of banks, pension funds, insurance companies and asset managers around the world with substantial investments in nuclear arms producers. Keeps track on who invests and who divested in an online database.

Publications:

• A small library of reports, handbooks, treaty information, pocket guides, etc.
• A “The Facts” section on catastrophic harm, the global nuclear arsenal, and nuclear weapons timeline
• Don’t Bank on the Bomb Report – Annually provides details of financial transactions with companies that are heavily involved in the manufacture, maintenance and modernization of US, British, French and Indian nuclear forces.

HIGHLIGHT:

• Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons – On 7 July 2017, following a decade of advocacy by ICAN and its partners, an overwhelming majority of the world’s nations adopted a landmark global agreement to ban nuclear weapons. It will enter into legal force once 50 nations have signed and ratified it.