OneWorld.net (U.S.)

© Nuclear Age Peace FoundationThe five nuclear weapons states recognized under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States) have long tried to maintain exclusivity in their possession of nuclear weapons. Over time, this stance has enhanced the perception that nuclear weapons are a source of power and prestige. The continued possession of nuclear weapons by these states has demonstrated that even the most economically and militarily powerful nations rely upon nuclear weapons for security.

In order to counter the perceived power of nuclear weapons states, acquiring such weapons has become the goal of a number of other countries and extremist groups. The rapid spread of information, the increased ability to access it, as well as growing scientific expertise and technical capacity has made it easier than ever before to build a nuclear weapon. Furthermore, it has become easier to obtain fissile material from hundreds of poorly guarded nuclear sites throughout the world. Despite these new and uncertain developments, the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the non-proliferation and disarmament regimes in general are under threat of unraveling.

At the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the parties to the treaty adopted by consensus a final document that contained 13 practical steps for nuclear disarmament. Among others, this document called on nuclear weapons states to take steps to achieve nuclear disarmament, including the dismantling and destruction of weapons. Because these states have shown little inclination to meet their commitments, it sets a dangerous precedent for further proliferation by other states.

In a new briefing booklet entitled “Back to Basics: Reviving Nuclear Disarmament in the Non-Proliferation Regime,” the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation calls for eight interlinking commitments to be made by the nuclear weapons states. Among others, these include calls for the nuclear weapons states to commit to total nuclear disarmament and good faith negotiations; to a timeframe; to no first use; to a verifiable ban on fissile materials; and to better accounting, transparency and reporting. With some 440 nuclear reactors in 31 countries, the Foundation also calls upon all states currently capable of producing highly enriched uranium and plutonium to commit, among others, to a global ban on spent fuel reprocessing; to bring nuclear facilities under strict international control; and to highly restrict the trade of all nuclear materials and technology.

The global community is at a fork in the road where nuclear weapons are concerned. Negotiated and verifiable solutions to the proliferation issues the world faces today can be achieved, but not without the nuclear weapons states demonstrating the political will to meet their own obligations. The less nuclear weapons there are in the world, and the tighter the international controls on them, the fewer possibilities will exist for proliferation. Alternatively, the more extensive the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the more difficult it will be to successfully eliminate nuclear arsenals.

The world’s citizens face serious nuclear dangers. This critical issue for global security cannot be left solely in the hands of governments. Ultimately, it is up to the citizens in the nuclear weapons states, particularly in the U.S., to hold their governments accountable and to urge elected officials and decision makers to establish policies that will reduce and eliminate the nuclear threat.

Carah Ong, Advocacy and Research Director Nuclear Age Peace Foundation