Gavin Howe
The United Nations has been working towards nuclear disarmament since its creation in 1946. The UN's efforts to outlaw nuclear weapons have culminated in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which bans the use, possession, testing, and transfer of nuclear weapons under international law. The TPNW entered into force on January 21, 2021, and as of July 2024, has been ratified by over 70 countries. However, it is important to note that none of the nuclear-armed states, including the United States, have signed or ratified the TPNW. Despite the existence of the TPNW, there are still approximately 12,100 nuclear weapons in the world, and nuclear-armed states possess well-funded, long-term plans to modernize their arsenals. The path towards global nuclear disarmament remains challenging, with critics arguing that the TPNW is divisive and could undermine existing non-proliferation treaties like the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| UN's stance on nuclear warheads | The UN has been at the forefront of many major diplomatic efforts to advance nuclear disarmament since 1946. |
| Treaties | The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms ("New START") |
| Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) | Prohibits the use, development, testing, production, manufacturing, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, transfer, or receipt of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices by States Parties. |
| Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) | Interpreted as a three-pillar system: an effective non-proliferation regime, disarmament, and cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. |
| Current status of nuclear disarmament | Around 12,100 nuclear weapons remain, and no nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
- The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
- The United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
- The Russian Federation's suspension of participation in the New START treaty
- The United Nations' efforts towards nuclear disarmament
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
The TPNW prohibits participating nations from developing, testing, producing, stockpiling, stationing, transferring, using, or threatening to use nuclear weapons. It also forbids the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and the provision of assistance to any state engaging in prohibited activities. Nuclear-armed states that join the treaty must follow a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of their nuclear weapons programme.
The treaty also obliges states parties to provide assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons and to remediate contaminated environments resulting from nuclear weapons-related activities. The TPNW aims to strengthen Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968, which requires good-faith efforts towards nuclear disarmament.
While the TPNW has faced boycott and rejection by nuclear powers and their allies, it has received support from prominent figures like former US Secretary of Defense William Perry and ICAN's Xanthe Hall. Proponents argue that the treaty will stigmatize nuclear weapons and catalyse their elimination. As of 2023, the Meetings of States Parties have discussed the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and worked towards establishing an international trust fund for victim assistance.
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The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
ICAN's mission is to reframe the disarmament discussion to center on the humanitarian threat that nuclear weapons pose. It highlights their extraordinary capacity for destruction, their disastrous health and environmental effects, and their indiscriminate targeting. Nuclear weapons violate international law, cause severe environmental damage, undermine national and global security, and divert vast public resources away from meeting human needs.
ICAN has been instrumental in mobilizing campaigners behind the Humanitarian Pledge, bringing 127 signatories on board, with another 23 states voting in favor of Pledge goals at the General Assembly. In December 2014, more than 600 ICAN campaigners gathered in Vienna on the eve of the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. ICAN also organized worldwide events in August 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
ICAN is overseen by an International Steering Group, with members including the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy, African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Norwegian People's Aid, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, among others. Any non-government organization is eligible to become an ICAN partner organization.
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The United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union (and its successor state, the Russian Federation). The treaty was signed by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on 8 December 1987. The INF Treaty banned both nations from possessing nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and missile launchers with ranges of 500–5,500 km. Existing weapons had to be destroyed, and both parties agreed to a protocol for mutual inspection.
The treaty did not apply to air- or sea-launched missiles. By its deadline of 1 June 1991, a total of 2,692 weapons had been destroyed—846 by the US and 1,846 by the Soviet Union. The US and the Soviet Union completed the dismantling of their intermediate-range missiles on 28 May 1991, as outlined by the INF Treaty.
In July 2014, the US alleged that Russia was in violation of its INF Treaty obligations, specifically, the obligation "not to possess, produce, or flight-test" a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of 500 to 5,500 km, or "to possess or produce launchers of such missiles". On 4 December 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US had found Russia in "material breach" of the treaty and would suspend its treaty obligations in 60 days if Russia did not return to compliance.
On 20 October 2018, President Donald Trump announced the US's withdrawal from the treaty, citing Russian non-compliance and China's increasing arsenal as reasons. The Trump administration claimed that withdrawing from the treaty was necessary to counter a Chinese arms buildup in the Pacific, as China was not a signatory. The US formally suspended the treaty on 1 February 2019, with Russia doing the same the following day. The US formally withdrew from the treaty on 2 August 2019.
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The Russian Federation's suspension of participation in the New START treaty
The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also known as the New START Treaty, is an agreement that places verifiable limits on all Russian-deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The treaty was first put into force on February 5, 2011, with a duration of 10 years and the option to extend for another five. Both parties met the central limits of the treaty by February 5, 2018, and have stayed at or below those limits ever since. The United States and the Russian Federation agreed on a five-year extension to keep it in force through February 4, 2026.
However, in August 2022, Russia paused inspections under the New START Treaty, claiming that the United States had attempted to conduct an inspection without prior notice, creating a unilateral advantage for the US. In late 2022, Russia announced it would postpone participation in the Bilateral Consultative Committee (BCC). On January 31, 2023, the US State Department announced that Russia was in violation of the New START Treaty. In response, on February 21, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in the treaty.
Putin's decision to suspend the New START Treaty has raised concerns about the number of Russian strategic warheads and the increasing reliance on nuclear weapons. It also eliminates a forum for dialogue between Moscow and Washington at a time of rising nuclear risks. Putin's announcement could impact the war in Ukraine in three ways: firstly, it could increase pressure on the Biden administration to expand its nuclear arsenal; secondly, it could signal to other countries that nuclear proliferation is acceptable; and finally, it could reduce the likelihood of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
The suspension of the New START Treaty has deepened concerns among experts that the world's two largest nuclear arsenals might go unconstrained for the first time since 1972. It is part of a larger trend of Russia's increasing reliance on nuclear weapons and abandoning arms control. Russia has previously suspended participation in other arms control treaties, such as the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty in 2007 and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2014.
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The United Nations' efforts towards nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament has been a key priority for the United Nations since its inception. The UN has been at the forefront of major diplomatic efforts to advance nuclear disarmament since 1946, when the General Assembly's first resolution established the Atomic Energy Commission. This commission was tasked with making specific proposals for the control of nuclear energy and the elimination of atomic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a pivotal agreement in the UN's nuclear disarmament agenda. It consists of a preamble and eleven articles, interpreted as a three-pillar system: non-proliferation, disarmament, and cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. However, critics argue that the NPT has had limited success in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and that it creates a divide between "nuclear haves" and "nuclear have-nots". Despite these criticisms, the NPT remains a cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is another significant development in the UN's efforts. The TPNW prohibits the development, testing, production, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, transfer, and use of nuclear weapons by state parties. It entered into force on January 21, 2021, and has been celebrated as a milestone towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. However, it has also faced opposition, with some arguing that it could undermine the NPT and hinder further progress.
Despite these treaties and the UN's ongoing efforts, nuclear disarmament remains a challenging issue. As of 2024, there are still approximately 12,100 nuclear weapons in existence, and countries with nuclear arsenals have plans to modernize them. The slow pace of nuclear disarmament has led to frustration among UN member states, particularly as concerns grow about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear warfare.
The UN continues to work towards its goal of global nuclear disarmament, with the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons highlighting its commitment to this cause.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the UN has been working towards the elimination of nuclear weapons since its first resolution in 1946, which established the Atomic Energy Commission. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force on January 21, 2021, and prohibits the development, testing, production, manufacturing, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, transfer, and use of nuclear weapons.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is an international law that bans nuclear weapons. It is the result of efforts by the Humanitarian Initiative, a group of non-nuclear weapons states advocating for nuclear disarmament by highlighting the severe humanitarian consequences of nuclear war.
The TPNW prohibits States Parties from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, acquiring, possessing, stockpiling, transferring, or using nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. It also bars signatories from receiving nuclear weapons and prohibits the threat of using nuclear weapons.
While the TPNW has been widely adopted, some countries have not signed the treaty, including the United States, India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan. These countries argue that the TPNW could undermine existing non-proliferation treaties and security policies that rely on nuclear deterrence.
