By Rebecca Davis Gibbons and
Stephen Herzog
The First TPNW Meeting and the
Future of the Nuclear Ban Treaty
A
s diplomats, activists, and researchers
converged on Vienna in June for the first
meeting of states-parties to the Treaty
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW),
recent tragic world events highlighted how
critical it was to convene this multilateral forum
on nuclear disarmament.
Since February, Russia’s war against
Ukraine has epitomized the grave dangers
of a world where nine states possess
approximately 12,700 nuclear weapons.1
That Russia could invade a sovereign
state and indiscriminately target its
civilian population, while using nuclear
threats to deter NATO from intervening,
has stunned the world. It offers a stark
reminder that possessing nuclear arms
can enable abhorrent violations of
international law.2
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
aggression and nuclear threats are the
most egregious recent activities by a
nuclear weapons possessor, but they are
hardly the only transgressions. Nucleararmed states continue to emphasize
these weapons in their national security
doctrines by pursuing new capabilities
and modernization programs and by
increasing their numbers of warheads.
In other words, the five countries
designated as nuclear-weapon states
under the nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty (NPT) (China, France, Russia, the
United Kingdom, and the United States)
do not appear to be taking effective
measures toward fulfilling their NPT
Article VI disarmament commitments.
Disappointment over a lack of progress
in this area led diplomats and activists
to pursue creation and ratification of the
TPNW in the first place.3
The TPNW, which entered into force
in January 2021 and is popularly known
as the nuclear ban treaty, prohibits all
nuclear weapons activities, including
building, testing, possessing, transferring,
helping others develop, and threatening
the use of nuclear arms.4 The first meeting
of states-parties originally was scheduled
for January 2022, but was delayed by the
COVID-19 pandemic, as were most other
nuclear-related multilateral gatherings. By
the time the meeting convened at the UN
office in Vienna on June 21–23, the TPNW
boasted 66 states-parties. Thirty-four other
interested countries attended as observers.
Despite successful consolidation
of the TPNW’s entry into force and
progress toward developing policies for
treaty implementation at the meeting,
major challenges loom for this new
fixture of the global nuclear order.
Treaty proponents face the twin tasks of
building effective treaty infrastructure
and convincing additional states to join.
These tasks may prove difficult in the
short term. To be sure, policymakers and
publics alike are waking up to nuclear
risks due to media coverage of Russian
threats and aggressive behavior. For
some countries, this means increased
interest about acquiring nuclear security
guarantees for protection. Yet, if the
unacceptable risks and consequences of
nuclear deterrence become the dominant
Rebecca Davis Gibbons is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine. Stephen Herzog is a senior
researcher in nuclear arms control at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. They are co-chairs of the Beyond Nuclear Deterrence
Working Group at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Project on Managing the Atom.
12
ARMS CONTROL TODAY September 2022
At the conclusion of the first meeting of states-parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on June 23,
questions from the press were fielded by (L) Beatrice Fihn of ICAN; Laurent Gisel, head of the arms and conduct of hostilities unit in
the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross; and Alexander Kmentt, TPNW conference president.
(Photo courtesy of UNIS Vienna)
long-term narrative, a groundswell
of support for the TPNW and nuclear
disarmament could eventually emerge.
Implementing a Global Nuclear
Weapons Ban
Before the meeting of states-parties,
Austria hosted the Vienna Conference
on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear
Weapons, which featured testimonials
of nuclear explosion survivors alongside
panel discussions and presentations
on new scientific research about the
devastating effects of nuclear weapons
use. This event on June 20 marked
the fourth such conference, following
three others in 2013 and 2014, in
Oslo; Nayarit, Mexico; and Vienna.
They paved the way for the TPNW by
educating diplomats on the impacts of
nuclear weapons use on humans, their
communities, and the environment.
The formal meeting of states-parties
followed, with Austrian diplomat
Alexander Kmentt, president of the
proceedings, arguing that the TPNW
is needed now more than ever and
represents the world’s only nuclear
trend moving in the right direction.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
offered support by video, stating that
“we must stop knocking on doomsday’s
door” and “let’s eliminate these weapons
before they eliminate us.” Statements
from several political leaders came next,
as well as from Peter Maurer, president
of the International Committee of the
Red Cross; Beatrice Fihn, executive
director of the International Campaign
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN); and
Karipbek Kuyukov, a survivor affected by
Soviet nuclear testing in Semipalatinsk,
Kazakhstan.
Because there were only three days
of proceedings, the participants had
negotiated in advance much of the
language released in the meeting’s
final declaration and action plan.5
Nevertheless, delegations debated
numerous topics related to treaty
implementation that would form the
50-point action plan, including how
to persuade more countries to join the
treaty, set timelines for eliminating
nuclear arsenals after nuclear-armed
states join the TPNW, establish the
disarmament verification body, and
put into practice the accord’s positive
obligations.
Much discussion centered on Article
12, which calls for states-parties to
“encourage” all other states to join
the treaty “with the goal of universal
adherence.” Member-states Austria and
Costa Rica, alongside observer Indonesia,
submitted a working paper with
suggestions for implementation.6 During
debate, several states expressed the need
to go beyond seeking additional state
ratifications and advocated for global,
public educational efforts on the treaty
and the effects of nuclear weapons use.
The action plan calls on states-parties to
establish national coordinators for Article
12 universalization efforts within 60
days and lays out the means to promote
the treaty and its norms. These tools
include démarches, outreach meetings,
international conferences and workshops,
UN General Assembly resolutions,
and high-level official statements. The
action plan notes that states-parties
should emphasize dialogue and the
humanitarian argument behind the treaty
when engaging with states “that for the
moment remain committed to nuclear
weapons and nuclear deterrence.”
Another important issue concerned
Article 4, stipulating the conditions for
eliminating nuclear weapons. Before
the Vienna meeting, this language did
not specify a timeline by which nucleararmed states that join the TPNW must
ARMS CONTROL TODAY September 2022
13
do so. South Africa, the only state
that has given up an indigenously
developed nuclear arsenal, took the lead
by holding consultations before the
meeting and presenting a working paper.7
Subsequently, states-parties agreed to
a 10-year window for nuclear weapons
dismantlement, but allowed for possible
extensions. They also decided that states
that host forward-deployed nuclear
weapons must remove them within 90
days after their accession to the TPNW.8
Article 4 also calls for members to
“designate a competent international
authority or authorities to negotiate
and verify the irreversible elimination
of nuclear-weapons programmes.”
Mexico, with support from observer
state Brazil, suggested that each country
send a representative to an intersessional
committee to examine the possibility
further, and this was incorporated into
the action plan.
Kazakhstan and Kiribati, as states
deeply affected by the horrific legacy
of nuclear testing, led consultations
on Articles 6 and 7 of the treaty.9
These articles address two key positive
treaty obligations: assistance for
victims of nuclear use and testing and
environmental remediation for areas
affected by nuclear weapons use.10 The
consultations resulted in several actions,
including consideration of the feasibility
of an international trust fund to support
those harmed by nuclear weapons use.
On the final day of the conference,
the parties made plans to establish
expert consultative bodies. They created
a scientific advisory group of up to 15
individuals to provide technical advice
for treaty implementation and agreed to
appoint an informal facilitator to focus
on the TPNW’s complementarity with
other nuclear treaties. The treaty members
asked Ireland and Thailand to lead these
activities following the countries’ working
paper on the topic.11
To conduct treaty implementation work
in the two years prior to the next meeting,
states-parties established a coordination
committee. It will meet at least quarterly
and involve Kmentt, the next presidentdesignate, chairs of informal committees
on universalization and victim assistance
and environmental remediation, and
competent international authorities. ICAN
and Red Cross representatives will observe.
14
ARMS CONTROL TODAY September 2022
This intersessional process will ensure
treaty implementation tasks continue
between meetings of states-parties.
In addition to the action plan,
states-parties consented to the Vienna
declaration. This four-page document
stresses the moral and humanitarian
motivations underlying the treaty and
voices significant concern about the
nuclear weapons possessed by the five
NPT-recognized nuclear-weapon states and
four other nuclear-armed states outside
the NPT: India, Israel, North Korea, and
Pakistan. The declaration is unequivocal
in its critique of nuclear weapons and
nuclear deterrence; it expresses support
for the goals of the TPNW and its full
implementation.
The Vienna declaration also condemns
nuclear threats in strong terms without
naming specific states while hinting at
recent Russian actions. It reads, “We
are alarmed and dismayed by threats to
use nuclear weapons and increasingly
strident nuclear rhetoric. We stress
that any use or threat of use of nuclear
weapons is a violation of international
law, including the Charter of the United
Nations. We condemn unequivocally any
and all nuclear threats, whether they be
explicit or implicit and irrespective of
the circumstances.”
The declaration further criticizes
nuclear-armed states that have tried to
pressure non-nuclear-weapon states not
to join the treaty, an implicit reference to
the NATO nuclear powers France, the UK,
and the United States.
Unlike the nuclear-armed states
and those under their protection, the
declaration rejects nuclear deterrence
and “the fallacy of nuclear deterrence
doctrines.” It asserts that the goal
of states-parties is to stigmatize and
delegitimize these weapons and to
“harness the public conscience in support
of our goal of universal adherence to the
Treaty and its full implementation.”
Finally, the declaration recognizes
the global importance of the NPT,
“[deploring] threats or actions that risk
undermining it.”
States-Parties, Observers, and
Nonparticipants
The 66 parties to the TPNW represent a
broad cross-section of the international
community, including states from Africa,
Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North
and South America, and Oceania. Their
Demonstrators outside the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on Aug. 2 carried a
message for Washington as delegates to the 10th Review Conference for the nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty met across the street at the United Nations.
(Photo credit: ICAN/Seth Shelden)
geographic diversity showcases the
global appeal of nuclear disarmament
and dissatisfaction with stalled progress
fulfilling NPT Article VI. There was also a
large international civil society presence
in Vienna because nuclear weapons use
would affect all people and the presence
of nongovernmental organizations was
mandated specifically by the TPNW.
The 34 nonmember states that observed
the Vienna proceedings included those
intending to ratify the treaty, those not
planning to join, and those still undecided.
Among the observers were Brazil, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Indonesia, Libya, the Marshall Islands,
Morocco, Nepal, and Switzerland, each of
which had varied perspectives on salient
issues. For example, Brazil stressed the
compatibility of the TPNW and the NPT
while Switzerland noted that relations
between the treaties were not yet clear.
Also observing were a handful of U.S. allies
under the nuclear umbrella: Australia,
Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands,
and Norway and soon-to-be-NATO-allies
Finland and Sweden. Norway, host of a
previous humanitarian conference, even
stated that attending the meeting of statesparties should not be viewed as a step
toward ratification of the TPNW because
the new treaty “would be incompatible
with our NATO obligations.”12 Regardless,
observers agreed with the goal of nuclear
disarmament in their statements and
commended the humanitarian initiative.
Germany also welcomed the positive treaty
obligation regarding victim assistance.13
It is also important to take stock of
who was not in Vienna, namely the five
NPT-recognized nuclear-weapon states,
as well as India, Israel, North Korea, and
Pakistan, who have not joined the treaty
and did not participate as observers. Many
of their allies did not send delegations
either. This behavior is broadly consistent
with statements by numerous countries
that rely on nuclear weapons or extended
deterrence indicating their refusal to join
because the TPNW will undermine the
NPT and not contribute to disarmament.14
Japan’s official absence was particularly
notable. Despite vigorous efforts by
activists to persuade the Japanese
government to observe the Vienna
meeting, it decided instead to focus on
the NPT review conference in August.
This decision effectively dashed near-term
It is also important to take
stock of who was not in
Vienna, namely the five NPTrecognized nuclear-weapon
states, as well as India, Israel,
North Korea and Pakistan....
hopes that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida,
who represents Hiroshima, would part
ways with his predecessor Shinzō Abe’s
opposition to the treaty. Nevertheless,
several hibakusha, the survivors of the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki; the mayors of these two cities;
and other activists were present. Both
mayors spoke at the conference and
received significant attention from scores
of Japanese reporters who were present.
The meeting seemed as much about
implementing the treaty as it was about
rebutting oft-repeated criticism of the
accord; the states-parties frequently
engaged with the arguments of observers
and nuclear-armed states. These debates
primarily dealt with three issues: whether
or how the TPNW and NPT complement
or conflict with each other, the extent to
which some states prioritize deterrence
over disarmament, and condemnation
of Russia’s nuclear threats during the
war in Ukraine.
On the first point, almost every
state-party reiterated in its national
statement the complementarity of the
TPNW with existing nonproliferation
regime infrastructure. This includes the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the
nuclear-weapon-free zones, and especially
the NPT. Such compatibility was a
key message because the states-parties
sought to counter the claims by nucleararmed states that the new treaty would
undermine the NPT, long the bedrock of
arms control and disarmament efforts, and
sow division among its members. Many
delegates said the TPNW would encourage
intensified efforts to meet unfulfilled NPT
Article VI disarmament commitments.
On the second point, several
delegations criticized states that rely
on nuclear weapons for their national
security. These statements drew attention
to disagreements between those states
that perceive nuclear weapons as a source
of security and those that see them as
creating insecurity. As the Jamaican
delegate explained, “[F]ar from ensuring
security, nuclear weapons threaten our
survival.”15 The Irish delegate similarly
stated, “It is our fundamental belief that
nuclear weapons offer no security.”16
Another rhetorical theme was the use
of the terms “realism” and “reality.” In
the past, representatives of the nucleararmed states have chastised the TPNW
with phrases such as, “We have to be
realistic.”17 Some treaty proponents used
similar language to underline nuclear
weapons effects and advocate for the
global ban.
Finally, many European observer states
wanted the states-parties to strongly
condemn the Russian invasion of
Ukraine, especially Putin’s nuclear threats.
TPNW member state Ireland, among
others, vociferously agreed, stating,
“We cannot shy away from calling out
those who threaten the use of nuclear
weapons.” Controversially, the majority
of states-parties did not even mention
Russian aggression against Ukraine in
their remarks. Fierce debate occurred
behind the scenes about whether to
shame Russia by name in the final
document, but in the end, the members’
condemnation of “any and all nuclear
threats” did not single out Russia. Many
states-parties viewed Russian nuclear
threats during the war in Ukraine as
continuing a long history of misbehavior
by the nuclear-armed states. To these
delegations, Russian actions were further
evidence of a lack of seriousness about
ARMS CONTROL TODAY September 2022
15
On the sidelines of the meeting of states-parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons in June, civil society groups and anti-nuclear activists, organized
by “Reverse the Trend” and others, gathered to discuss the humanitarian impact of
nuclear war. (Photo by Alexander Papis of ICAN)
disarmament by the nuclear powers
rather than a standalone transgression
requiring separate condemnation.
Competing Narratives and
Nuclear Futures
The success of the first meeting of the
TPNW states-parties is difficult to deny
in terms of organization and policy. For
one thing, the nuclear weapons have-nots
succeeded in solidifying entry into force
of an international treaty banning the
world’s most powerful weapons, weapons
that could imperil the future of humanity.
Resulting policy developments include
concrete efforts to expand the treaty to
more states, increase public outreach,
implement future nuclear dismantlement
after nuclear-armed states join the treaty,
and address collateral consequences of
nuclear weapons. The strong enthusiasm
of the delegations and nongovernmental
observers was noticeably atypical for
diplomatic proceedings, highlighting
their passion for the new treaty and
dedication to its objectives.
16
ARMS CONTROL TODAY September 2022
Euphoria among many TPNW
proponents notwithstanding, many
challenges lie ahead. Russia’s war in
Ukraine has underscored and exacerbated
long-standing nuclear divisions among
states. Two possible lessons have emerged.
On the one hand, Ukraine, a state lacking
a nuclear-armed patron, was invaded
after having given up its inherited Soviet
nuclear arsenal, which has increased
some states’ interest in nuclear deterrence
and extended deterrence.18 There is now
wider discussion of South Korea acquiring
its own nuclear weapons.19 Meanwhile,
Finland and Sweden have moved swiftly
to join NATO and be covered by the
U.S. nuclear umbrella.20 On the other
hand, Putin’s nuclear threats appear to
have further convinced many states and
activists of the dangers of possessing these
deadly weapons of mass destruction.
Finding common ground between
these camps will not be easy, but there is
power in narrative. Now that the TPNW
is here to stay, the best advocacy strategy
for proponents of the treaty appears
to be pointing to the world’s nuclear
realities. Putin is reminding the public
continuously of disturbing nuclear facts
that have received only limited popular
attention since the Cold War ended. All
major cities in nuclear-armed states, as
well as NATO states in Europe, are mere
minutes from destruction by nucleartipped ballistic missiles. This mutual
nuclear targeting has been the case
for many decades, but it has had low
visibility in the public sphere.
The devastating consequences of any
nuclear weapons use on societies, the
environment, and politics would affect
everyone on the planet. Governments
are not the only actors that matter.
ICAN Executive Director Beatrice Fihn
has stressed that one objective of the
ban movement must be to stigmatize
the bomb from the bottom up in states
relying on nuclear deterrence.21 Put
simply, public opinion and public
discourse are critical. Research has
shown, for example, that a majority
of U.S. and Japanese citizens support
nuclear disarmament even though their
leaders continue to push narratives of
security through deterrence.22 Other polls
indicate, however, that public opinion
cannot be taken for granted. Many
Americans can be persuaded to oppose
the TPNW by U.S. government arguments
against the treaty, 52 percent of Germans
support maintaining once unpopular
U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on their
soil given Russia’s aggressive behavior,
and a majority of Dutch support TPNW
accession “only if nuclear-weapon states
or other NATO allies also joined.”23
The next meetings of TPNW statesparties will take place at the UN in New
York in 2023 and 2026, with Mexico
and Kazakhstan, respectively, presiding
over the discussions. Meanwhile, treaty
advocates can feel proud of what they
accomplished in Vienna, while remaining
clear-eyed about the difficult work ahead.
Implementing the nuclear ban treaty
and attracting new members, particularly
those that rely on nuclear weapons for
security, undoubtedly will be difficult.
Prospects for nuclear disarmament,
whether through NPT Article VI or the
TPNW, appear bleak in the short term as
the world’s nuclear-armed states become
increasingly divided.24 The disturbing
stream of world events suggests, however,
that the Vienna action plan’s emphasis
on the humanitarian impacts of nuclear
weapons use is the nuclear narrative that
most closely mirrors reality.
See Moritz Kütt and Zia Mian, “Setting the
https://documents.unoda.org/wp-content/
Deadline for Nuclear Weapon Removal From
uploads/2022/06/Ireland.pdf.
Host States Under the Treaty on the Prohibition
of Nuclear Weapons,” Journal for Peace and
Nuclear Disarmament, Vol. 5, No. 1 (June 2022):
148–161.
9. For more on these legacies, see Togzhan
ENDNOTES
1. Federation of American Scientists, “Status
of World Nuclear Forces,” n.d., https://fas.org/
issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclearforces/ (accessed August 12, 2022).
2. Alexander K. Bollfrass and Stephen Herzog,
“The War in Ukraine and Global Nuclear
Order,” Survival, Vol. 64, No. 4 (August/
September 2022): 7–32.
Kassenova, Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan
Gave Up the Bomb (Stanford: Stanford
University Press, 2022); Becky Alexis-Martin
et al., “Addressing the Humanitarian and
Environmental Consequences of Atmospheric
Nuclear Weapon Tests,” Global Policy, Vol. 12,
No. 1 (February 2021): 106–121.
17. Somini Sengupta and Rick Gladstone,
“United States and Allies Protest U.N. Talks to
Ban Nuclear Weapons,” The New York Times,
March 27, 2017.
18. Lauren Sukin and Alexander Lanoszka,
“Poll: Russia’s Nuclear Saber-rattling Is Rattling
Neighbors’ Nerves,” Bulletin of the Atomic
Scientists, April 15, 2022, https://thebulletin.
org/2022/04/poll-russias-nuclear-saber-rattlingisrattling-neighbors-nerves/. For a discussion of
Ukraine’s disarmament, see Mariana Budjeryn,
Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and
10. For further background, see Bonnie
the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine (Baltimore:
Docherty, “From Obligation to Action:
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022).
Advancing Victim Assistance and
Environmental Remediation at the First Meeting
19. Choe Sang-hun, “Ukraine Conflict Revives
3. Rebecca Davis Gibbons, “The Humanitarian
of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition
Nuclear Arms Question in a Wary South Korea,”
Turn in Nuclear Disarmament and the Treaty
of Nuclear Weapons,” Journal for Peace and
The New York Times, April 7, 2022, p. A10.
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,”
Nuclear Disarmament, Vol. 3, No. 2 (November
20. William Alberque and Benjamin Schreer,
The Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 25, Nos. 1-2
2020): 253–264; Nidhi Singh, “Victim Assistance
“Finland, Sweden and NATO Membership,”
(February/March 2018): 11–36.
Under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Survival, Vol. 64, No. 3 (June/July 2022): 67–72.
4. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons, July 7, 2017, https://treaties.
un.org/doc/Treaties/2017/07/20170707%20
03-42%20PM/Ch_XXVI_9.pdf.
5. First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, “Draft
Vienna Declaration of the 1st Meeting of States
Parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons: ‘Our Commitment to a World
Weapons: An Analysis,” Journal for Peace and
Nuclear Disarmament, Vol. 3, No. 2 (November
21. Motoko Mekata, “How Transnational Civil
2020): 265–282.
Society Realized the Ban Treaty: An Interview
With Beatrice Fihn,” Journal for Peace and
11. First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
“Complementarity With the Existing
Nuclear Disarmament, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2018):
79–92.
Disarmament and Non-proliferation Regime:
22. Ondrej Rosendorf, Michal Smetana, and
Working Paper Submitted by the Co-facilitators,
Marek Vranka, “Disarming Arguments: Public
Ireland and Thailand,” TPNW/MSP/2022/WP.3,
Opinion and Nuclear Abolition,” Survival, Vol.
June 8, 2022.
63, No. 6 (December 2021/January 2022): 183-
Free of Nuclear Weapons,’” TPNW/MSP/2022/
CRP.8, June 23, 2022; First Meeting of States
12. Jørn Osmundsen, Statement to the first
Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of
meeting of states-parties to the Treaty on the
Nuclear Weapons, “Draft Vienna Action Plan,”
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, June 21, 2022,
TPNW/MSP/2022/CRP.7, June 22, 2022.
https://documents.unoda.org/wp-content/
uploads/2022/06/Norway.pdf.
6. First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty
200; Jonathan Baron, Rebecca Davis Gibbons,
and Stephen Herzog, “Japanese Public Opinion,
Political Persuasion, and the Treaty on the
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” Journal for
Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, Vol. 3, No. 2
(November 2020): 299–309.
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
13. Rüdiger Bohn, Statement to the first
“Implementing Article 12 of the Treaty on the
meeting of states-parties to the Treaty on the
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons: Universalization;
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Vienna, June
Working Paper Submitted by the Co-facilitators,
21–23, 2022, https://documents.unoda.org/
Austria, Costa Rica and Indonesia,” TPNW/
wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Germany.pdf.
MSP/2022/WP.7, June 17, 2022.
14. See, for example, Paul Schulte, “The
Rausch, and Jonas Schreijäg, “Umfrage: Erstmals
7. First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty
UK, France and the Nuclear Ban Treaty,” in
Mehrheit für Atomwaffen in Deutschland”
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
Breakthrough or Breakpoint? Global Perspectives on
[Poll: Majority in favor of nuclear weapons
“Deadlines for the Removal From Operational
the Nuclear Ban Treaty, ed. Shatabhisha Shetty
in Germany for the first time], Tagesschau,
Status and Destruction of Nuclear Weapons and
and Denitsa Raynova, December 2017, p. 21,
June 2, 2022, https://www.tagesschau.de/
Other Nuclear Explosive Devices, and Their
https://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/
investigativ/panorama/umfrage-atomwaffen-
Removal From National Territories (Article 4):
wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ELN-Global-
deutschland-101.html; Michal Onderco et al.,
Working Paper Submitted by the Facilitator,
Perspectives-on-the-Nuclear-Ban-Treaty-
“When Do the Dutch Want to Join the Nuclear
South Africa,” TPNW/MSP/2022/WP.9, June 22,
December-2017-1.pdf.
2022. For a discussion of why states may give up
15. Government of Jamaica, Statement to the
in the Netherlands,” The Nonproliferation Review,
nuclear weapons, see Kjølv Egeland, “A Theory
first meeting of states-parties to the Treaty on
October 27, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1080/10736
of Nuclear Disarmament: Cases, Analogies,
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Vienna,
700.2021.1978156.
and the Role of the Nonproliferation Regime,”
June 21-23, 2022, https://documents.unoda.org/
Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 43, No. 1
wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Jamaica.pdf.
(January 2022): 106–133.
23. Stephen Herzog, Jonathon Baron, and
Rebecca Davis Gibbons, “Antinormative
Messaging, Group Cues, and the Nuclear Ban
Treaty,” Journal of Politics, Vol. 84, No. 1 (January
2022): 591–596; Robert Bongen, Hans-Jakob
Ban Treaty? Findings of a Public Opinion Survey
24. Rebecca Davis Gibbons and Stephen
Herzog, “Durable Institution Under Fire?
16. Government of Ireland, Statement to the
The NPT Confronts Emerging Multipolarity,”
8. This time frame was influenced by research
first meeting of states-parties to the Treaty
Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 43, No. 1
examining historical cases of weapons removal.
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, n.d.,
(January 2022): 50–79.
ARMS CONTROL TODAY September 2022
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