Nuclear-Weapon-Ban treaty

A nuclear-weapon-ban treaty is a proposed international agreement to prohibit the development, production, testing, acquisition, stockpiling, transfer, deployment, threat of use and use of nuclear weapons.[1] On 27 October 2016, the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a mandate for negotiating such a treaty.[2] The negotiations are scheduled to take place in New York in March, June and July 2017.[3]

Concept

A nuclear-weapon-ban treaty, according to its proponents, would constitute an "unambiguous political commitment" to achieve and maintain a nuclear-weapon-free world.[4] However, unlike a comprehensive "nuclear weapons convention", it would not contain all of the legal and technical measures required to reach the point of elimination. Such provisions would be the subject of subsequent negotiations, allowing the initial agreement to be concluded relatively quickly and, if necessary, without the involvement of nuclear-armed nations.[5]

Proponents of a ban treaty believe that such an agreement would help "stigmatize" nuclear weapons, and serve as a "catalyst" for elimination.[6] Around two-thirds of the world's nations have pledged to work together "to fill the legal gap" in the existing international regime governing nuclear weapons,[7] and view a nuclear-weapon-ban treaty as one option for achieving this objective.[8]

Nuclear weapons — unlike chemical weapons, biological weapons, anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions — have not yet been prohibited in a comprehensive and universal manner.[9] The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of 1968 contains only partial prohibitions, and nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties prohibit nuclear weapons only within certain geographical regions.

Background

Nations debate the idea of a nuclear-weapon-ban treaty at the UN in Geneva in May 2016.

Proposals for a nuclear-weapon-ban treaty first emerged following a review conference of the NPT in 2010, at which the five nuclear-armed states parties — the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China — rejected calls for the start of negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention.[10] Disarmament advocates proposed the ban treaty as an alternative pathway forward.

The convening of three major intergovernmental conferences in 2013 and 2014 on the "humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons", in Norway, Mexico and Austria, strengthened the international resolve to outlaw nuclear weapons.[11] The second such conference, in Mexico in February 2014, concluded that the prohibition of a certain type of weapon typically precedes, and stimulates, its elimination.[12]

In 2014 a group of non-nuclear-armed nations known as the New Agenda Coalition (NAC) presented the idea of a nuclear-weapon-ban treaty to NPT states parties as a possible "effective measure" to implement Article VI of the NPT, which requires all states parties to pursue negotiations in good faith for nuclear disarmament. The NAC argued that a ban treaty would operate "alongside" and "in support of" the NPT.[13]

In 2015 the UN General Assembly established a working group with a mandate to address "concrete effective legal measures, legal provisions and norms" for attaining and maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free world.[14] In August 2016, it adopted a report recommending negotiations in 2017 on a "legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination".[15]

In October 2016, the First Committee of the UN General Assembly acted upon this recommendation by adopting a resolution that establishes a mandate for nuclear-weapon-ban treaty negotiations in 2017 (with 123 states voting in favour and 38 against, and 16 abstaining).[16] A second, confirmatory vote will take place in a plenary session of the General Assembly in December 2016.

Positions

On October 27, 2016, the UN First Committee voted on whether to start negotiating a nuclear weapons ban: 123 nations (green) voted yes, 38 (red) voted no, 16 (yellow) abstained and 16 (white) did not vote.

Leading proponents of a nuclear-weapon-ban treaty include Austria, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand.[17] All 54 nations of Africa,[18] all 33 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean[19] and all 10 nations of Southeast Asia subscribe to common regional positions supporting the start of negotiations on a ban treaty. Many Pacific island nations are also supportive.[20]

No nuclear-armed nation has expressed support for a ban treaty, and a number of them, including the United States[21] and Russia,[22] have expressed opposition. Many of the non-nuclear-armed members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), along with Australia[23] and Japan,[24] are also resistant to a ban treaty, as they believe that US nuclear weapons enhance their security.

Civil society

A global appeal for a nuclear-weapon-ban treaty, signed by 838 parliamentarians in 42 countries.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a coalition of non-governmental organizations, is the main civil society actor working alongside governments to promote negotiations for a ban treaty.[25] The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has also championed an agreement to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons,[26] describing the UN working group recommendation to negotiate a ban in 2017 as "potentially historic".[27]

Parliamentarians

Several hundred parliamentarians around the world have signed an appeal calling for a ban treaty, describing it as "necessary, feasible and increasingly urgent".[28] In May 2016 the Dutch parliament adopted a motion urging the government to work for "an international ban on nuclear weapons".[29] Earlier in 2016, a majority of Norwegian parliamentarians signalled their support for a ban.[30]

Opinion polls

Recent opinion polls in a number of nations have shown strong public support for a ban.

Country Support Year
Australia[31] 84% 2014
Germany[32] 93% 2016
Netherlands[33] 85% 2016
Norway[34] 77% 2016
Sweden[35] 81% 2016

References

  1. ↑ Working paper 18 submitted to the NPT preparatory committee meeting, New York, April 2, 2014
  2. ↑ UN votes to outlaw nuclear weapons in 2017, media release, ICAN, October 27, 2016
  3. ↑ Resolution L.41, adopted October 27, 2016
  4. ↑ Working paper 34 submitted to the UN open-ended working group on nuclear disarmament, Geneva, May 11, 2016
  5. ↑ Article 36, "Banning nuclear weapons without the nuclear armed states" (October 2013)
  6. ↑ Reaching Critical Will and Article 36, "A treaty banning nuclear weapons" (May 2014)
  7. ↑ Humanitarian Pledge initiated by Austria on December 9, 2014
  8. ↑ Working paper 36 submitted to the UN open-ended working group on nuclear disarmament, Geneva, May 4, 2016
  9. ↑ Article 36 and Reaching Critical Will, "Filling the legal gap: the prohibition of nuclear weapons" (April 2015)
  10. ↑ Tim Wright, "Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference 2010: towards nuclear abolition" (June 2010)
  11. ↑ Reaching Critical Will, "Humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons"
  12. ↑ Tim Wright, "Nayarit — a point of no return" (April 2014)
  13. ↑ Working paper 18 submitted to the NPT preparatory committee meeting, New York, April 2, 2014
  14. ↑ UN General Assembly resolution 70/33, adopted December 7, 2015
  15. ↑ "Majority of UN members declare intention to negotiate ban on nuclear weapons in 2017", ICAN media release, 19 August 2016
  16. ↑ Voting result on UN resolution L.41, adopted October 27, 2016
  17. ↑ "Support for a ban", ICAN website
  18. ↑ Statement of the African Group to the UN open-ended working group on nuclear disarmament, Geneva, May 2, 2016
  19. ↑ Working paper 15 submitted to the UN open-ended working group on nuclear disarmament, Geneva, April 12, 2016
  20. ↑ Working paper 14 submitted to the UN open-ended working group, Geneva, March 3, 2016
  21. ↑ US statement to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, December 8, 2014
  22. ↑ Russian statement to the Conference on Disarmament, Geneva, August 16, 2016
  23. ↑ Ben Doherty, "Australia resists nuclear disarmament push because it relies on US deterrent", The Guardian, September 16, 2015
  24. ↑ "Japan, US oppose moves to establish treaty to ban nukes", Mainichi Japan, July 1, 2016
  25. ↑ Matthew Bolton and Elizabeth Minor, "The Discursive Turn Arrives in Turtle Bay: The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons' Operationalization of Critical IR Theories", Global Policy (2016)
  26. ↑ International Committee of the Red Cross, "Nuclear weapons"
  27. ↑ "ICRC Reiterates Calls for Nuclear Weapons Prohibition, Setting Timeframe", Astana Times, August 24, 2016
  28. ↑ Global Parliamentary Appeal for a Nuclear Weapons Ban (ongoing)
  29. ↑ Parliamentary motion proposed on April 28 and adopted on May 17, 2016
  30. ↑ Norwegian People's Aid, "Norway's parliament wants a ban on nuclear weapons", March 10, 2016
  31. ↑ Poll of 1501 people conducted by Nielsen (Australia)
  32. ↑ "German public rejects nuclear weapons", March 23, 2016
  33. ↑ "Public and parliamentary support for a treaty banning nuclear weapons", May 11, 2016
  34. ↑ "Public and parliamentary support for a treaty banning nuclear weapons", May 11, 2016
  35. ↑ "Eight out of 10 Swedes want the government to pursue a ban on nuclear weapons", May 26, 2016

See also

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