Parliament� The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation has recommended that the National Assembly (NA) approve the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as presented by the department on Wednesday.

The primary goal of the treaty is to reinforce and promote South Africa as a responsible producer, possessor and trader of military items and advanced technologies in the nuclear, biological and chemical fields. It was first signed by the former President Jacob Zuma in September 2017.

The treaty is in line with the country’s disarmament policies, domestic legislation and international obligations.

Nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity. Once approved by the House, the treaty will contribute to outcome 11 in the medium-term strategic framework of the Department of International Relations and Cooperative, which aims to create a better South Africa and contribute to a better and safer Africa in a better world, said MrSiphosezweMasango, the Chairperson of the committee.

The committee believe that the treaty will also form part of the country’s strategic focus to commit to multilateralism and a rules-based international order, in which adequate attention is paid to all global threats facing humanity.

Source: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa