Brasilia, Brazil – The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee has refused to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which the country signed in 2017.
This decision, announced by the press office of the House of Representatives, was made on the recommendation of Member of Parliament Louise Philippe d’Orléans.
“Realism and Defense”
The parliamentarian justified his position by emphasizing the complexity of the current international situation, saying: “If the world were perfect, this idea of ratification would be worth considering. But at the present time, the proposal for ratification seems entirely unproductive. It is merely an illusion, in the context of an increasingly complex, dynamic and conflict-ridden international system.”
The MP added that the treaty imposes restrictions on the state’s right to develop its defense capabilities and deterrent potential.
Determining the future nuclear posture
De Orleans pointed out that nuclear-armed states “continue to develop them.” Therefore, Brazil still needs to decide on its future nuclear status.
The congressman concluded by saying: “With the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the world has been divided between those who do not have them and those who do. We have to decide which of these two groups we want to belong to. And frankly, the likelihood of this treaty ever achieving its goal of eliminating nuclear weapons from the world is very slim.”
