Major Challenges Opportunities and Next Steps for the Parties to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Approaching the 2020 Review Conference (original) (raw)
Related papers
The IAEA, the NPT and the VIII NPT Review Conference
Since the end of World War II the international community has been building, step by step and with many difficulties, the nuclear weapon non-proliferation regime. The purpose of this regime is the prevention of the proliferation of this type of weaponry and to achieve, as one of their final goal, the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons and the closure of all nuclear weapon production facilities or the conversion of these facilities for their exclusively use with peaceful purposes in the future. Despite all efforts made by the majority of the international community, the world still is far from achieving this important objective. This article offers to the international community a group of actions for the strengthening of the nuclear weapon non-proliferation regime and for the beginning of multilateral negotiations towards nuclear disarmament.
Challenges to the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime
2003
For international peace and security, the international nuclear non-proliferation regime has played an extremely important role. However, the recent state of affairs, including Iraqi and North Korean issues, and a new U. S. nuclear policy under the Bush Administration, reveal several challenges to the regime. In this paper, I examine the development of the situation since the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference and address eight specific challenges to the regime. This paper argues that in order to strengthen the regime, it will be necessary to maintain and strengthen international consensus and motivation toward the regime because the regime ultimately depends on the commitment of States to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. K e yw o r d : nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear weapons, NPT, safeguards, security assuarances, nuclear-weapon-free zones TProfessor of International Law and Relations, Osaka School of International Public Policy,Osaka University, ...
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons : Its Significance and Challenges
Osaka University law review, 2018
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted at the United Nations Conference by 122 affirmative votes with one opposition and one abstention on July 7, 2017. The Treaty was open for signature from September 20, 2017. The initiative for this treaty emerged from international civil society groups and many non-nuclear-weapon states that supported the idea. The conference to negotiate a treaty was held in 2017 to successfully conclude a treaty through the collaboration of these two groups and states, after a discussion held at the United Nations on this issue in 2016. This paper first examines the background and negotiation process, then surveys the content of the treaty as a central issue, next introduces opposing opinions and clarifies the significance of this treaty, and finally points out future challenges.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Success or Failure
Introduction Ever since atomic era has started, the spreading of nuclear weapons has been one of the chief security issues faced by the international society. Besides this, potential spread of nuclear technology around the world leads to the concern of its disastrous consequences after World War-II. This growing concern is the main pillar for the establishment of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968. The two main goal of this treaty was first to check the proliferation of nuclear power and secondly to disarm the five recognized nuclear armed states. This whole organization is a network of mutual mechanisms and arrangement commonly termed as international nonproliferation regime. The example of Hiroshima and Nagasaki destruction becomes the demonstration for the proliferation of nuclear technology as many other states started feeling the need of such power to compete. 2 There are currently 189 signatory states; in which five countries (P5) are recognized nuclear weapon states (NWS). There are also three NWS (India, Israel, and Pakistan) that have never joined the NPT and the only country (North Korea) that withdraw from the treaty. The framework of the NPT is based on three legally binding pillars:
Zeitschrift für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung, 2022
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a central element of the global nuclear order, the primary goal of which is to prevent nuclear war. But this understanding is being threatened by a number of developments. Frustration about the lack of nuclear disarmament and concerns about humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons led to the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The new treaty has further exposed existing fault lines within the NPT and exacerbated unresolved conflicts over the proper approach to disarmament and the weighting of the NPT pillars. Currently, disagreements over the compatibility of the two treaties and the approach to the TPNW in particular divide the membership of the NPT. At the same time, real proliferation cases test the regime’s ability to act, as norm enforcement is regularly hampered by interference from the great powers. These developments—the absence of genuine disarmament, disputes among NPT members, competitio...
Security Debates: The role of the IAEA and NPT in the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
a renowned economist and statesman spoke volumes in his simple phrase: "proliferation begets proliferation." 1 Shultz's statement draws upon the neorealist theory within political science whereby states continually participate in an anarchical international system; participation which forces them to rely on selfdevelopment and growth for the purposes of sustaining protected sovereignty and national security. 2 As a mechanism for upholding nation state security, many critiques such as Mitchell Reiss argue that non-proliferation actions against nuclear energy and technology have little impact on limiting the build-up of nuclear weapons. 3 Nuclear power within contemporary society, however, has expanded from a military commodity to a significant source of peaceful energy, thereby inter-linking with various political frameworks and exerting influence over domestic as well as international political, economic and social spheres. 4 Extremely influential within contemporary society, nuclear energy cannot be situated within one framework, and must rather be considered and evaluated as a flexible resource which holds with it either beneficial or detrimental capabilities, depending on the manner in which it becomes interacted with.
The First TPNW Meeting and the Future of the Nuclear Ban Treaty
Arms Control Today, 2022
This article discusses the entry-into-force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in January 2021, the first Meeting of States Parties in June 2022, and challenges that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 may pose to the agreement moving forward.
Negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty: The New Treaty: Taking Stock
2017
The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)-an autonomous institute within the United Nations-conducts research on disarmament and security. UNIDIR is based in Geneva, Switzerland, the centre for bilateral and multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation negotiations, and home of the Conference on Disarmament. The Institute explores current issues pertaining to the variety of existing and future armaments, as well as global diplomacy and local tensions and conflicts. Working with researchers, diplomats, government officials, NGOs and other institutions since 1980, UNIDIR acts as a bridge between the research community and governments. UNIDIR's activities are funded by contributions from governments and donor foundations. Note The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the individual authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the United Nations, UNIDIR, its staff members or sponsors.
Banning Of Nuclear Weapons through Conferences: One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward
This paper examines the need to having a complete prohibition and total elimination of nuclear weapons, getting rid of the danger of nuclear war and the attainment of nuclear weapon-free world, just as chemical and biological weapons have been prohibited. The discourse reveals that effort is being made in achieving this onerous mission, with some conferences held in Oslo, Norway, Mexico and Austria. Interestingly, countries that are not in the possession of nuclear weapons are in the forefront in seeing that, that is achieved, by voting, overwhelmingly for a convention, for that purpose. On the other hand, nuclear-weapons states (with the exception of India and Pakistan) are against the convention and did not attend the conference held in March 2013, in Oslo. The position of permanent members of the UN Security Council in getting the convention is hypocritical, in the sense that, they are the ones with the notion that, a Convention is not achievable in the near term and therefore is not a realistic alternative to the step-by-step approach to disarmament currently under way. This notwithstanding the fact that, their citizen voted in support of the convention, in the Public Opinion Poll held in 2008. It is therefore worthwhile for states to see to the need to having and contributing to the successes of the convention. This study therefore found that, the issue of nuclear weapons Review Conferences, has been beclouded with a lot of politics, interest and double standard being exhibited. However, the hope is that the follow-up conferences will prove something tangible, in having a treaty that will ban, the production, stockpiling, use and transfer of nuclear weapons.