News release

Kyrgyzstan: Signature of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons а positive step in strengthening commitment to international humanitarian law

Tashkent (ICRC) – The signature of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by the Kyrgyz Republic on 26 September 2025 is an important step in reaffirming the country’s commitment to international humanitarian law (IHL). At a time of rising international tensions, renewed nuclear rhetoric and the expanding role of nuclear weapons in military doctrines, the TPNW is more urgent and relevant than ever.

“Nuclear weapons cause unspeakable human suffering and long-lasting damage to health, the environment and future generations. Their destructive power cannot be contained in space or time. 

The signature of the TNPW by the Kyrgyz Republic is a positive and commendable step that reflects its strong commitment to IHL. We hope that the Kyrgyz Republic will take the next steps to bring the Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons into full effect through ratification and national legislation,” 

said Biljana Milosevic, head of the ICRC’s regional delegation in Central Asia. 

IHL is applicable to all means and methods of warfare including nuclear weapons. The ICRC and the broader International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consider it extremely doubtful that nuclear weapons could ever be used in accordance with IHL.

The ICRC works with governments around the world to support the implementation of, and ensure compliance with, the Geneva Conventions of 1949. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the ICRC closely cooperates with the National Committee on IHL implementation, providing technical and legal expertise to strengthen domestic legal frameworks. Since the adoption of the TPNW, the ICRC in the Kyrgyz Republic has actively promoted the treaty and the prohibition of nuclear weapons within the Committee’s agenda.

About the ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
 

For more information, please contact:

Ermek Baisalov, ICRC Bishkek, tel: +996 312 300 772 (ext.116), email: ebaisalov@icrc.org