Ghana Hosts West and Central Africa Conference on Nuclear Weapons Treaty – Life Pulse Daily

Introduction

On Tuesday, 27 January 2026, Accra welcomed the West and Central African Regional Conference on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The event, co‑organised by the Government of Ghana, the Government of Austria, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), brought together a diverse mix of state representatives, regional bodies, civil‑society organisations, and multinational partners. Its purpose was to accelerate the universalisation and implementation of the TPNW across the continent, setting the stage for a safer, nuclear‑weapon‑free world.

The conference highlighted Ghana’s long‑standing moral and legal commitment to nuclear disarmament, tracing back to the warnings of its founding president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. By reiterating the treaty’s humanitarian imperative and urging concrete actions ahead of the first TPNW Review Conference slated for later 2026 under South Africa’s presidency, the gathering reinforced the message that sustainable security can only arise from cooperation, not from weapons of mass destruction.

Key Points

Background

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)

Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 7 December 2017, the TPNW is the first legally binding instrument that comprehensively bans the development, testing, production, stockpiling, transfer, use, and threat of use of nuclear weapons. It entered into force on 22 January 2021 and now has 70+ signatories and 40+ state parties, including several African nations. The treaty’s core pillars are:

• Humanitarian commitment – Recognising the indiscriminate nature of nuclear detonations and their lasting humanitarian fallout.
• Legal prohibition – Establishing a clear, enforceable ban that supersedes any prior nuclear‑related obligations.
• Universalisation goal – Encouraging all states to join, thereby creating a nuclear‑weapon‑free world.

Ghana’s Commitment to Nuclear Disarmament

Ghana has been a vocal advocate for nuclear abolition since the independence era. President Kwame Nkrumah famously warned that “nuclear weapons are the greatest threat to the survival of mankind.” In June 2025, Ghana’s Parliament unanimously ratified the TPNW, marking the country’s first formal legal commitment to the treaty. The ratification was accompanied by a national implementation plan that aligns Ghana’s foreign‑policy objectives with the treaty’s obligations, particularly in areas such as:

• Reporting to the UN Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) on disarmament measures.
• Co‑operating with regional bodies like ECOWAS and the African Union to promote the treaty’s provisions.
• Supporting civil‑society initiatives that raise public awareness of nuclear risks.

Regional Context: West and Central Africa

West and Central Africa (WCA) comprise 21 nations spanning the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel. The region faces unique security challenges—including conflict, resource competition, and the proliferation of conventional weapons—making nuclear disarmament a critical component of broader peace‑building efforts. The conference aimed to:

• Identify common security concerns that nuclear weapons exacerbate.
• Highlight existing regional mechanisms (e.g., ECOWAS’ Protocol on Conflict Prevention) that can be leveraged for disarmament cooperation.
• Encourage member states to adopt national legislation that mirrors the TPNW’s prohibitions.

Analysis

Multilateral Approach to International Security

Ambassador Khadija Iddrisu, Chief Director of Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened the conference with a call for “multilateral approaches to international safety amid emerging geopolitical tensions.” She argued that:

• No single nation can guarantee security without collective restraint on weapons of mass destruction.
• Diplomatic dialogue, rather than deterrence, should be the cornerstone of security policy.
• The TPNW provides a concrete framework for such dialogue, aligning legal obligations with moral imperatives.

The statement reflects a growing consensus among African leaders that security must be anchored in human‑rights‑based policies rather than in the possession of nuclear arsenals. This perspective is echoed in the UNODA’s recent reports on “human security” and “regional disarmament pathways.”

Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons

Speakers repeatedly stressed that nuclear detonations cause:

• Immediate loss of life and severe injuries to civilians.
• Long‑term environmental contamination, affecting agriculture and water supplies for generations.
• Psychological trauma that persists long after the blast.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) presented data showing that even a single low‑yield nuclear weapon could render a region uninhabitable for decades. This evidence reinforces the treaty’s humanitarian clause and underscores why African states view the TPNW as a safeguard for their populations.

TPNW Provisions and Obligations

The treaty’s legal architecture obliges state parties to:

• Never develop, test, produce, stockpile, or use nuclear weapons.
• Never assist, encourage, or induce any other state to engage in prohibited activities.
• Implement national legislation that criminalises nuclear‑weapon‑related conduct.
• Provide regular reports to the UN Secretary‑General on compliance and disarmament measures.

During the conference, UNODA officials explained that these obligations are not merely symbolic; they translate into concrete actions such as revising national defence doctrines, removing nuclear‑related clauses from military agreements, and establishing oversight bodies to monitor treaty implementation.

Pathways to Universalisation and Implementation

Four thematic tracks guided the dialogue on how African states can advance universalisation:

1. Africa’s Security Concerns

Regional security analyses highlighted how nuclear weapons could destabilise already fragile peace processes. ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) pledged to incorporate TPNW principles into their conflict‑prevention protocols, ensuring that any security assistance does not inadvertently support nuclear proliferation.

2. Humanitarian Consequences

The ICRC and several NGOs presented case studies from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and more recent nuclear‑related incidents, illustrating the irreversible damage to civilian infrastructure. These narratives were used to argue that the treaty’s humanitarian clause should be the primary driver of national disarmament legislation.

3. TPNW Provisions and Duties

Legal scholars dissected the treaty’s text, clarifying obligations for signatories and the distinction between “signatories” (states that have signed but not yet ratified) and “state parties” (those that have ratified). The session also addressed the need for domestic legal reforms, such as amending penal codes to criminalise nuclear‑weapon‑related activities.

4. Strategies for Universalisation and Implementation

Participants shared best‑practice models, including:

• National parliamentary ratifications – a prerequisite for treaty entry into force domestically.
• Regional advocacy networks – platforms for sharing resources and coordinating joint statements.
• Civil‑society mobilisation – campaigns that educate the public and pressure policymakers.
• International partnerships – collaborations with ICAN, UNODA, and the ICRC to provide technical assistance.

The consensus was that a “bottom‑up” approach—combining legal reforms, public awareness, and regional coordination—offers the most viable pathway to universalising the TPNW across West and Central Africa.

Practical Advice

For Government Officials

• Draft a national implementation act that mirrors the TPNW’s prohibitions and establishes enforcement mechanisms.
• Engage the UNODA for technical support on reporting requirements and compliance checks.
• Coordinate with ECOWAS and the AU to embed TPNW principles into existing regional security frameworks.
• Facilitate parliamentary debates on the treaty’s ratification and its alignment with Ghana’s foreign‑policy goals.
• Allocate budget resources for disarmament education, public outreach, and monitoring of nuclear‑related activities.

For Civil‑Society Organisations

• Launch awareness campaigns using local languages and culturally relevant narratives (e.g., linking nuclear risks to food security).
• Partner with ICAN to access toolkits, briefing notes, and advocacy guides.
• Organise community forums with victims’ testimonies to humanise the treaty’s humanitarian clause.
• Monitor government actions and submit reports to the UN Secretary‑General on implementation progress.
• Advocate for legislative reforms that criminalise any nuclear‑weapon‑related conduct within national law.

For Academic and Research Institutions

• Publish policy briefs analysing the TPNW’s impact on regional security dynamics.
• Provide expert testimony to parliamentary committees during ratification debates.
• Develop training modules for law‑enforcement and customs officials on detecting illicit nuclear‑related material.
• Collaborate with the ICRC on humanitarian impact assessments for nuclear‑weapon scenarios.
• Create open‑access databases tracking the status of TPNW signatories and state parties across Africa.

For Media and Public Communication

• Use clear, concise headlines that incorporate target keywords (e.g., “Ghana leads West and Central Africa nuclear‑disarmament dialogue”).
• Provide context – explain what the TPNW is, why it matters, and how it affects everyday life.
• Highlight human stories – feature interviews with survivors, policymakers, and community leaders.
• Link to official statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNODA for credibility.
• Encourage audience participation through Q&A sessions and social‑media