The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is considered one of the greatest successes in the history of the United Nations.
The agreement, in force since 1970, was designed to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, advance nuclear disarmament, and promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
It was adopted by 191 member states, making it one of the most widely followed multilateral agreements ever and a cornerstone of international security.
Over the past 54 years, nuclear weapons have not been used in any conflict, with the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 being the only times atomic bombs were dropped.
dangerous, unknown territory
But the global system that controls nuclear weapons is facing its gravest crisis in decades. Most Cold War-era agreements have either been abandoned or expired: the 2010 US–Russia New START agreement – ​​which prohibited the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons – ended in february Without any successor.
At that time, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres Warnings that the world is entering uncharted territory remain no legally binding constraints on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia – the two countries that have most of the world’s nuclear weapons.
This new era of mistrust was reflected in the treaty’s last two review conferences, in 2015 and 2022, which ended without agreement on a concrete final document – ​​underscoring how states remain divided on priorities, obligations and the way forward.
A review of the treaty, running from April 27 to May 22 this year, will assess how well it is being implemented and whether it can deliver progress on disarmament, restraint and cooperation amid today’s security challenges.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said the event provides an opportunity for states to identify areas of common ground, against a backdrop of an extremely difficult security environment and escalating rhetoric.
“The threat of the use of nuclear weapons continues to grow and we do not want this to become the norm,” he said. “The more countries with nuclear weapons, the greater the risk of accidentally using nuclear weapons.”
The senior UN official said, “The review conference will not be just a box-ticking exercise. Diplomats will have to steer it towards a successful outcome because it is about the future of the nuclear order in the world.”
