Prioritise nuclear disarmament
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to prioritise nuclear disarmament, lead within NATO and globally, and urge nuclear states to join the TPNW or negotiate a binding treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons. The government responds it will pursue disarmament through the NPT, NATO and G7, backing verification and risk‑reduction while not endorsing the TPNW.
Why we would sign this petition
- Elevates disarmament into formal policy so Canada can press for concrete arms‑control and verification measures through diplomacy and leadership.
- Calling for a binding treaty or TPNW accession focuses on total elimination, addressing modernization and proliferation pressures with a clear legal aim.
- A visible Canadian initiative could catalyse multilateral talks and boost international cooperation on verification and risk reduction.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The TPNW is broadly incompatible with NATO commitments; pressing accession could strain alliance cohesion and collective‑defence arrangements.
- A global binding elimination treaty without nuclear states’ participation may be politically unrealistic and hard to verify or enforce.
- Pursuing new treaties might divert diplomatic effort and resources from pragmatic NPT‑based verification and risk‑reduction measures the government already pursues.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada WHEREAS: 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the horrific atomic bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing or maiming hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians; Nine nuclear-armed states are expanding and 'modernizing' their nuclear arsenals; At least six non-nuclear-armed states have signaled their interest in acquiring nuclear weapons; The nuclear arms control architecture has all but disintegrated with the termination of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty and Open Skies Treaty between the US and Russia, and grim prospects for renewal of the New START Treaty in 2026; There is increasing risk that non-state actors will acquire nuclear weapons and/or the ability to trigger nuclear conflict through cyber warfare; Global tensions between and among nuclear-armed states are high and the 'Doomsday Clock', established by atomic scientists in 1947, has now been set at 89 seconds to 'Midnight', closer than at any point in its 78-year history; The Canadian House of Commons and Senate unanimously approved a motion in 2010 that encouraged the Government of Canada to engage in negotiations of a Nuclear Weapons Convention and deploy a major world-wide Canadian diplomatic initiative in support of nuclear disarmament; The House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence issued an all-Party recommendation in 2018 that the Government of Canada play a leadership role in NATO in beginning the work to create a world free of nuclear weapons, and that this be done on an urgent basis. We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: make nuclear disarmament a foreign policy and national defence priority, and to assume a leadership role within NATO and globally; urge all nuclear-armed states to accede to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) or to negotiate, on an urgent basis, a new legally binding instrument that will achieve the same ultimate goal as the TPNW - the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant Canada is deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would arise from any use of nuclear weapons and as a result remains committed to the global objective of eliminating nuclear weapons. In the context of a deteriorating international security environment with some states expressing the need to acquire nuclear weapons to protect their sovereignty while others, like Russia, threaten to employ nuclear weapons in its aggression, this goal is even more salient today. Although Canada was a principal contributor to early atomic research, it chose not to develop or deploy an independent nuclear weapons arsenal. Instead, it pursued the peaceful uses of nuclear energy while upholding the highest standards of non-proliferation and advancing disarmament goals. Most recently, at the 80th United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee in October 2025, Canada urged Member States to reject the notion that the current environment justifies slowing down or abandoning nuclear arms control and disarmament efforts. Rather, Canada called for renewed urgency and a redoubling of efforts. In particular, Canada continued to call on Russia and the United States to negotiate a follow-on agreement to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and advocated for the inclusion of China in any future agreements. As such, Canada remains firmly committed to the goal of a treaty on general and complete disarmament, as envisaged by Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,commonly referred to as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while also supporting peaceful uses of nuclear technology for all. For decades, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has provided a meaningful framework guiding Canada’s diplomatic efforts and support for practical measures that reduce nuclear risks and advance disarmament, while promoting peaceful uses in conformity with non-proliferation obligations. While Canada recognizes that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons arose from, and reflects, well-founded concerns by some states about the slow pace of nuclear disarmament, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons faces significant limitations particularly as it does not include any nuclear-armed state. It also contains no measures to verify compliance of nuclear disarmament. Further, for Canada and our North Atlantic Treaty Organization Allies, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is broadly incompatible with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization commitments wherein nuclear deterrence remains a core element of collective defence. Canada believes that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has unfortunately contributed to sow further discord in global non-proliferation efforts and it diverts attention from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework. Canada does not therefore consider the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to be the comprehensive, universally acceptable treaty contemplated under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As such, Canada, together with its Allies, will continue to pursue disarmament through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework including by supporting measures that strengthen it, promote verification and risk reduction, and build the broad international consensus needed for the lasting, irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons, while supporting peaceful uses of nuclear technology for all states. In advance of the 11thNuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in April 2026, Canada has made significant contributions to the Treaty review process through statements and working papers. Together with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada is providing funding to develop a comprehensive framework to monitor Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty implementation, as well as a nuclear transparency inventory. Additionally, Canada has demonstrated active participation in cross-regional groups—such as the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament and the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative—to put forward pragmatic proposals on disarmament, risk reduction, transparency, reporting, and other measures that garner widespread support amongst Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty State Parties. Canada will engage constructively with all partners at the Review Conference to achieve meaningful progress, strengthen the review process, and reinforce Treaty commitments. In this respect, Canada’s focus has been on initiatives that bring together nuclear and non-nuclear armed states to practically advance nuclear disarmament, while promoting peaceful uses and the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation. These include notably: commencing long overdue negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off treaty, advocating the entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, building global capacity for nuclear disarmament verification, and building capacity in disarmament and non-proliferation through diversity and inclusion efforts at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations, and nationally. As well, Canada advocates for nuclear safeguards globally and adoption of the International Atomic Energy Agency Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with an Additional Protocol as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty verification standard. Canada actively supports access to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy through support to the International Atomic Energy Agency Technical Cooperation Programme and through bilateral nuclear cooperation that ensures that all nuclear exports comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and peaceful-use obligations. Under its 2025 G7 Presidency, Canada chaired the G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group, driving forward a collective agenda of transparency, cooperation, and dialogue. The group reaffirmed the G7 nations’ commitment to the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons and willingness to seek meaningful dialogue to advance strategic risk reduction, nuclear arms control, and nuclear disarmament. Through the G7-led Global Partnership Program and Canada’s own Weapons Threat Reduction Program significant funds have been provided to projects to address chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear proliferation and terrorism threats. Meanwhile under Canada’s G7 Presidency, the G7 Nuclear Safety and Security Group focused attention on newer technologies and attendant risks that may impact the safe and secure use of civil nuclear power. While the path towards a nuclear weapons free world remains undoubtedly challenging, Canada will continue to steadfastly play an active role in championing nuclear disarmament, including through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the G7, with the goal of achieving a treaty on general and complete disarmament as set out in Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.