Delegates from the United Nations have come together in New York to discuss the idea of a world without nuclear weapons.
But with almost 40 nations refusing to discuss the possibility, that future remains, at the least, unlikely.
The United States ambassador to the United Nations says global nuclear disarmament is an unrealistic idea.
"There is nothing I want more for my family than a world with no nuclear weapons. But we have to be realistic. In this day and time, we can't honestly say that we can protect our people by allowing the bad actors to have them and those of us that are good, trying to keep peace and safety, not to have them."
The United States says it will continue to support the current Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty, which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
However, that treaty was agreed to in 1970, and there has been growing anger at its ineffectiveness.
In response, the United Nations agreed in December last year to negotiate a new treaty for a global ban.
UN Under Secretary-General and High Representative For Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-Soo (kim wuhn-SU) acknowledges the lack of progress on previous deals.
But he says the world must do more to eliminate nuclear weapons.
"This conference is taking place against a backdrop of rising international tensions, renewed arms competition and an absence of results in disarmament bodies. The continued existence of nuclear weapons still poses yet another existential threat to humanity. The need for progress in nuclear disarmament has rarely been as urgent as it is today."
Despite that, Australia has joined almost 40 other nations, including the United States, Britain and France, refusing to take part in the talks.
Labor senator Lisa Singh has raised the issue in parliament, urging Australia to "participate constructively" with the United Nations.
But the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Senator James McGrath, says a global ban would not work.
"Australia shares with the international community the goal of a peaceful and secure world free of nuclear weapons. Australia will not participate in the forthcoming UN conference on the negotiated treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The proposed ban treaty would not advance nuclear disarmament. It will be ineffective in eliminating or even reducing nuclear-weapons arsenals. It would not enhance security."
Richard Tanter is the senior research associate at the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability and an international-relations professor at the University of Melbourne.
He maintains Australia's primary reason for not participating is its relations with the United States.
But he says Australia siding with the United States could affect its standing in South-East Asia.
"I think it makes Australia extraordinarily isolated. Every country in ASEAN* supported the negotiations. Malaysia was a co-sponsor. Indonesia has been very strong on this issue. Not only has every country in South-East Asia supported the ban-treaty negotiations but every country in the South Pacific islands. ... Australia really is the odd country out on this. And if we say we want to be a part of South-East Asia, of Asia as a whole, it seems we ought to pay more attention to what a very large number of substantial countries are saying."
Professor Tanter says he agrees the world has not had any serious disarmament discussions for a long time.
He says the UN talks this week provide an opportunity for a productive way forward on nuclear weapons.
Share
