Methodist Church congratulates ICAN on Nobel Peace Prize

The Revd Loraine N Mellor and Jill Baker, the Presidentand Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, have congratulatedthe International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) onbeing awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today.

ICAN, a coalition of hundreds of non-governmental organisationsand faith groups, received the award after being instrumental ingetting the majority of the world's nations to agree the text of aUN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In recognitionfor their work towards peace, ICAN will receive nine millionSwedish kronor ($1.1 million, £940,000) in prize money towardstheir cause.

The Revd Loraine N Mellor said: "Nuclear weapons are totallyopposed to the love that God has for humankind. They represent adenial of hope, a challenge to community and a threat to peace. Welive in a world of tension and it is becoming abundantly clear thatnuclear weapons do not make us safer but are themselves a source offear and dispute."

The Methodist Church has consistently stated that nuclearweapons are incompatible with ethical principles and internationallaw. It has advocated for the Treaty on the Prohibition of NuclearWeapons through resources and support of community action. Methodist Churchleaders and members have joined with other churches and faithgroups in the UK on many occasions, for example with statements in2015 and in 2016.

Jill Baker added: "This recognition of the important work ofICAN with the Nobel Peace prize could not be more appropriate.Through this campaign, peace activists, lawyers, city mayors, faithleaders, survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and many others arespeaking with one voice. The message is clear: there can be nomoral or legal justification for threatening whole populations withdevastating and indiscriminate nuclear weapons. Following theintroduction of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,the test of a responsible nuclear weapons power will be itscommitment to present concrete plans for progressing towards aworld without nuclear weapons."