A UN General Assembly committee has voted to launch negotiations on a new treaty banning nuclear weapons despite fierce opposition from the world's nuclear powers. A resolution presented by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil was yesterday adopted by a vote of 123 to 38. Sixteen nations absented from the voting following weeks of<br/>lobbying by the nuclear powers for 'no' votes. <br/><br/>The non-binding resolution provides for negotiations to begin in March next year on the new treaty, citing deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. Four of the five UN Security Council nuclear powers –Britain, France, Russia and the United States — voted against the resolution while China abstained, as did India and<br/>Pakistan.<br/><br/>Japan, which has long campaigned against the use of nuclear weapons, voted against it, as did South Korea, which is facing a nuclear threat from North Korea.