The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of non-government organizations in one hundred countries advocating for a strong and effective nuclear weapon ban treaty. Negotiations on this new global agreement will take place at the United Nations in New York in 2017.
ICAN originated in Melbourne, Australia, in 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 groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. By engaging a diverse range of groups and working alongside the Red Cross and like-minded governments, we have helped reshape the debate on nuclear weapons and generate momentum towards a ban.