A UN conference on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons has concluded with a political declaration that calls for strengthening the commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons amidst rising global instability.



The third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons took place at the UN headquarters in New York for five days through Friday.



The declaration adopted on the final day said that "the growing dangers of nuclear proliferation and potentially devastating nuclear arms race demand immediate and decisive action from the international community," calling for every state to join the treaty.



It warned that emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, that are incorporated into nuclear weapons systems "heighten the risks of nuclear weapon use."



The declaration also said the states parties will continue discussions on the potential establishment of an international trust fund for victim assistance and environmental remediation.



The conference came after Nihon Hidankyo, a group representing survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won last year's Nobel Peace Prize. Atomic bomb survivors' calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons attracted more attention than in the previous two meetings.



Meanwhile, differences in positions among countries over nuclear deterrence were made clear amid the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine.



None of the NATO member countries, which are under the US nuclear umbrella, participated as observers this year, after some NATO members observed the previous meetings.



A review conference for the nuclear weapons ban treaty is planned for next year. Attention is on whether support for the treaty will grow for the abolition of nuclear weapons.