Tuesday, January 28, the New York City Council held a joint hearing on Res. No. 976 and Int. No. 1621. This proposed package of legislation represents a declaration of NYC’s support for nuclear disarmament and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (endorsing the ICAN Cities Appeal), while providing a mechanism for policy and education related to NYC’s nuclear weapons legacy and subsequent nuclear weapons-free zone status, and also calling for NYC to divest public pension funds from producers and manufacturers of nuclear weapons.

This bill would create an advisory committee to examine nuclear disarmament and issues related to recognizing and reaffirming New York city as a nuclear weapons-free zone. The committee would be chaired by the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office on International Affairs. The remaining six members of the committee would be representatives with a demonstrated knowledge or experience of nuclear policy, advocacy or activism.