There are various multilateral and unilateral treaties on disarmament for global stability.
But recent developments illustrate that global instability from proliferation and weaponisation is becoming a reality.
What are the treaties on global disarmament?
NWS - After the cold war era, Nuclear weapon states (NWSs) China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA emerged so that there should not be further more countries to possess nukes.
START - This is the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, by which Russia and the United States have reduced their weapon inventories.
NPT - Non-Proliferation Treaty is to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.
NWPT (Nuclear Weapons prohibition treaty) - Recently United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans and makes it illegal to possess, use, produce, transfer, acquire, stockpile or deploy nuclear weapons.
What are the recent global threats by weaponisation?
All the NWSs are either deploying new nuclear weapon delivery systems or have announced programs to do so.
Due to this countries outside this club now have felt encouraged to nurture their own big ambitions.
India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea alone possess approximately 1000 nuclear weapons.
Even after START policy, U.S and Russia still account for more than 93% of all operational nuclear warheads.
IAEA member states have evidently been slow to adopt measures to enhance the safety (from terrorist threats) of nuclear material transferred within and across national borders.
For instance, an amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material came into force only in 2016.
What does this imply?
The possession of the deadly bomb by four other countries, besides the five nations that founded the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), testifies to the impediments to restrict the use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
North Korean’s defiance to expand the country’s weaponisation programme is only the latest instance of erosion of the NPT’s authority.
Against this backdrop, the prospects are remote that the NWPT 2017 by ICAN to legally ban nuclear weapons could win support from the NWS.
Way forward
It is clear that countries could not outsource the safety and security framework on the deployment of nuclear technology.
This should not be taken lightly across the developing world, where a culture of safety and public accountability is lacking.
This is especially critical since the share of nuclear power is expected to increase as part of attempts to reduce countries’ dependence on fossil fuels.
