Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The ban treaty sends a clear message to the nine nuclear weapons States—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea—that those weapons pose an unacceptable risk to humanity and the planet. Amplifying that message will be a priority for New Zealand in Vienna. It's also a chance to emphasise the role that international rules and norms play in promoting peace and stability. Russia's recent threats to use nuclear weapons have demonstrated the absurdity of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council holding the world to ransom and has shown that now more than ever we need nuclear disarmament and stronger multilateral institutions.