Malta has become the eighty-fourth signatory of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The treaty was signed by the permanent representative of Malta to the United Nations, Vanessa Frazier, at UN headquarters in New York.

The text of the treaty was adopted on July 7, 2017, with Malta having voted in favour of the draft treaty on that occasion.

"The signature of this important treaty continues to underscore Malta's unwavering commitment towards nuclear non-proliferation, and highlights its commitment towards achieving prosperity through peace," the ministry said. 

The treaty prohibits the production, stockpiling, transfer, stationing and threat of use of nuclear weapons. It also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and the provision of assistance to any state in the conduct of prohibited activities.