MP Templeman attends nuclear weapons prohibition meeting in Vienna

Our Federal MP, Susan Templeman, returns on Sunday from a trip to Vienna in Austria where she was an observer for the government at the first Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Held from June 21 to 23, Australia’s attendance as an observer will provide insights into how States Parties intend to address serious questions about the Treaty, including:

MP Templeman in Vienna, pictured with Natasha Meli Daudey, who is the Republic of Malta’s Ambassador to Austria

• the adequacy of the TPNW’s verification and enforcement regime

• interaction with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which the Australian Government considers to be the cornerstone of the international disarmament and non-proliferation regime

• how States Parties will work to achieve universal support, especially that of nuclear-weapon states.

“It was great to be in Austria to observe the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on behalf of Australia,” Ms Templeman said.

“Australia shares the ambition of TPNW states parties of a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Australia is not a party to the TPNW and Ms Templeman’s attendance as an observer does not represent a decision to join the Treaty.

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