Yesterday, 20 September 2017, at the United Nations building in New York, H.E. Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, signed for the Holy See and also in the name of and behalf of Vatican City State, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted on 7 July 2017 at the end of the United Nations Conference aimed at negotiating a legally binding instrument for prohibiting nuclear weapons. The signing took place during the High Level Ceremony for the opening of the signing of the Treaty. At the same time H.E. Msgr. Gallagher handed over the relative instrument of ratification.

Pursuant to Article 15, paragraph 1 of the Treaty, it will enter into force for the Holy See and for Vatican City State ninety days after the deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or adhesion.