The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of nongovernmental organizations in more than 100 countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This landmark global agreement was adopted in New York on July 7, 2017, and entered into force on January 21, 2021.
ICAN originated in Australia and was formally launched in Austria in April 2007. The campaign’s founders were inspired by the tremendous success of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Since its founding, ICAN has worked to build a powerful global groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. By engaging a diverse range of groups and working alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross and like-minded governments, the campaign has helped reshape the debate on nuclear weapons and generate momentum towards elimination.
ICAN was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its “work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons” and its “ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons.”