The international campaign  to Abolish Nuclear Weapons  (ICAN) is a coalition of non-governmental organizations in one hundred countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations nuclear weapon ban treaty. This landmark global agreement was adopted in New York on 7 July 2017.

ICAN began in Australia and was formally launched in Austria in April 2007. Our campaign’s founders were inspired by the tremendous success of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which a decade earlier had played an instrumental role in the negotiation of the anti-personnel mine ban convention, or Ottawa treaty.

Since our founding, we have worked to build a powerful global ground- swell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. By engaging  a diverse range of groups and working alongside the Red Cross and likeminded governments, we have helped reshape the debate on nuclear weapons and generate momentum towards elimination.

We were awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for our “work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons” and our “ground-breaking efforts to achieve a trea- ty-based prohibition of such weapons”.