The IPPNW Program Director casts light on the NPT

What is NPT?

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which came into force in 1970, has been the single most important measure the world has taken to date to prevent the global spread of nuclear weapons and to lay the foundation for their elimination. At the heart of the NPT is a three-part bargain: in exchange for a promise by the non-nuclear weapon states to foreswear the acquisition of nuclear weapons (Article II), the nuclear weapon states (NWS) at the Treaty's inception (the US, the Soviet Union, the UK, France, and China) made a commitment to nuclear disarmament (Article VI); as a further incentive, those states wishing to use nuclear energy for “peaceful purposes” would receive technical assistance (Article IV).  There are 189 NPT member states, although the decision by North Korea (DPRK) to withdraw from the treaty, which has not been formally accepted, would reduce the number to 188.

Why is it important?

The NPT has been largely successful in curtailing the spread of nuclear weapons around the world, and lays the foundation for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Without the NPT, it is likely that many more countries would now have nuclear arsenals of their own, and even more would have nuclear weapons development programs that could produce warheads in a short time.

What roles did IPPNW play in the recent NPT review conference?

IPPNW sent a delegation of more than 20 physicians, medical students, and staff from at least 9 countries to the Review, where they took part in the May 1 demonstration in Central Park, several NGO panels on disarmament and non-proliferation topics, and formal and informal meetings with member state delegations and embassies. IPPNW medical students presented a panel on disarmament education using the Nuclear Weapons Inheritance Project as a model, and organized several "Target X" events in Times Square, where they educated pedestrians about the medical consequences of nuclear war and the importance of the NPT.

IPPNW worked closely with the NGO community and with representatives of civil society -- particularly the Abolition 2000 network, Mayors For Peace, indigenous communities, youth groups, and hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) -- to write and coordinate a series of presentations, including civil society recommendations on implementing commitments to disarmament and non-proliferation goals. These presentations were made during a formal NGO session of the Review on May 11. IPPNW also helped coordinate two NGO press conferences that were held during the Review to draw attention to the voices of civil society.

What was the outcome of the conference?

Despite tireless efforts at diplomacy, the 2005 Review was declared a failure by the conference president, Sergio Duarte of Brazil, and by most of the member states who offered concluding statements. The final document was nothing more than a procedural report of the meeting, listing participants, the meetings held, how financial costs would be covered, and other technical matters. On the other hand, many useful proposals were submitted to the Conference on ways to enhance the Treaty and the contributions to the Review by NGOs and other representatives of civil society cannot be overestimated. More than 1,750 NGO delegates were registered with the UN at the start of the Conference. The May Day demonstration drew an estimated 40,000 people and attracted substantial media coverage, and the symbolic presence of hibakusha – was very strong. The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki provided a clear vision for the elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020 in their presentations on behalf of Mayors for Peace. The single most important lesson of this Review is that NGOs, as representatives of global civil society, must help to create the political will that states need to complete the task of creating a nuclear-weapons-free world.

 

John Loretz
IPPNW Program Director