Increase in Number of Nuclear Warheads In Arsenals of Nuclear Weapons States
But it is not just the nuclear-armed states whose activities are incompatible with the TPNW. A total of 35 non-nuclear-armed states, including the world’s 32 so-called umbrella states, also contravened one or more of the prohibitions of the TPNW last year, chiefly by assisting and encouraging continued possession of nuclear weapons on their behalf.
“Europe has the highest number of countries whose actions run counter to the TPNW and that vote against the Treaty in the UN. They perpetuate the idea that nuclear weapons are legitimate and necessary and are a major obstacle to nuclear disarmament,” said Østern.
In spite of this, the Ban Monitor points out, the TPNW gained strength in 2022. The speed with which new countries are ratifying or acceding to the Treaty accelerated, following a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic. An important milestone, the Treaty’s First Meeting of States Parties, was held in Vienna in June 2022, where a declaration and first action plan was adopted and unprecedented international attention was given to the rights of people affected by nuclear weapons and the need for victim assistance and environmental remediation of areas affected by nuclear-weapons testing. Five states under the US “nuclear umbrella” attended the Vienna meeting as observers, showing early signs of a willingness to at least engage constructively with the Treaty.
As of 29 March 2023, the TPNW has 68 states parties and a further 27 countries have signed but not yet ratified the Treaty. This means that only four more states need sign or accede before the Treaty reaches 50% of all states.
In a foreword to the 2022 edition of the Ban Monitor, the United Nations Under-Secretary General and Special Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, wrote: “While states remain the key actors in international disarmament negotiations, the evolution of the TPNW has shown the usefulness of a partnership between states, civil society and academia. Projects such as this show that well-researched information and thoughtful analysis can stimulate discussion and thus contribute to achieving our shared goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.”
NPA’s Secretary General Henriette Westhrin is proud of NPA’s role as a driving force in global disarmament efforts over many years, not least in the process leading up to the nuclear ban.
“I was present in the audience when an overwhelming majority of UN states adopted the TPNW in 2017. The ban was a huge achievement for civil society, who for years had pushed states to recognise the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and make progress towards nuclear disarmament. Today, the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor is perhaps NPA’s most important contribution towards a world without nuclear weapons. Since 2018, the report has been very useful reference work for actors working for nuclear disarmament,” she said.
Against the backdrop of the war Ukraine and Putin’s regular hints at the possibility of nuclear use, the Ban Monitor has rarely been more relevant than in 2023, according to Westhrin. “The Ukraine crisis has demonstrated that nuclear weapons do not create peace and stability. They don’t deter aggression, but enable conventional wars and incentivise risk taking that could lead to nuclear war.”
