UN Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference Ends Without Agreement

AP

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A four-week United Nations conference reviewing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has ended without agreement, as the United States and Iran exchanged sharp criticism over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Vietnam’s U.N. Ambassador Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced that there was no consensus among the 191 parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on even a watered-down final document.

He told a news conference later that “no one blocked consensus.” But he said “a very important reason” for the failure to reach an outcome was a provision in the final draft that said Iran “can never seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”

It marked the third consecutive failure to reach agreement at a conference reviewing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), widely regarded as the cornerstone of global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

At the previous review conference in August 2022, Russia blocked consensus on a final document amid disputes linked to its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including references to Moscow’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret at the failure when the “elevated risk posed by nuclear weapons demands urgent action,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He appealed to all countries “to make full use of all available avenues of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation to reduce tensions, lower nuclear risks, and ultimately eliminate the nuclear threat.”

Tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme escalated ahead of the Iran war, which began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on 28 February. President Donald Trump said the conflict was aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, while Tehran insists its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian purposes, despite enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.

The United States and Iran have been in dispute since the opening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference on 27 April. Washington accused Iran of showing “contempt” for its obligations under the treaty, while Tehran said U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities violated international law.

Iran is a signatory to the NPT, which requires non-nuclear-weapon states to declare all nuclear facilities and allow inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, Iran has not granted inspectors access to facilities that were bombed by the United States last June.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said the United States insisted that Iran be named in the outcome document for its refusal to comply with its NPT obligations, including inspections, and it was. Iran objected to being singled out and insisted that the U.S. and Israel be condemned for attacking its nuclear sites, which violates the NPT, but that was not included, he said.

In speeches at the end of the conference, the United States called Iran a “prolific treaty violator” and said it had spent the conference “shirking accountability for its grotesque violations.” Iran accused the U.S. and its allies of conducting a “relentless campaign” to legitimize their “unlawful attacks” on the country and its nuclear facilities.

Kimball said the conference “showed that rhetorical support for the NPT is strong, but the foundations of the NPT are cracking due to inaction, inattention, and intransigence on the part of the major powers.”

“Much more enlightened, engaged, and pragmatic leadership and diplomacy will be needed to guard against the growing risks of an unconstrained nuclear buildup, threats to resume nuclear testing, and the risk of a nuclear-armed Iran,” Kimball said.

Britain’s Rebecca Johnson, founding executive director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy, had harsh criticism for both the U.S. and Russia, the two largest nuclear powers, which she said “double down on nuclear threats, blame others and try to undermine or ignore the NPT’s nuclear disarmament commitments and related agreements,” including on nuclear testing.

Source: AP



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