Mongolia

Nuclear-weapon-free state

Has joined the TPNW

SIGNED

RATIFIED

IN FORCE

ACCEDED

10 December 2021

IN FORCE

10 March 2022

Status

Mongolia has acceded to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and has been legally bound by it since 10 March 2022.

Accession

Mongolia deposited its instrument of accession with the UN secretary-general on 10 December 2021. A draft law to accede to the TPNW was adopted by the Mongolian parliament on 22 October 2021.

In introducing the draft law, Battsetseg Batmunkh, the minister of foreign affairs of Mongolia, said that joining the TPNW would strengthen Mongolia’s position on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and “meet the fundamental interests of national security”.

Mongolia was the 57th state to ratify or accede to the TPNW.

Battsetseg Batmunkh, the minister of foreign affairs of Mongolia, introduces a draft law to the parliament to accede to the TPNW in 2021. Photo: Parliament of Mongolia

National position

In 2021, Mongolia said that the TPNW’s entry into force “set a milestone in the international efforts in banning these disastrous weapons”, and the treaty will be “instrumental” in eliminating nuclear weapons.

In 2024, it said that the TPNW “is crucial in achieving the objectives of the total elimination of nuclear weapons”, adding that the treaty’s growing membership “is a testament to the joint international efforts in banning these weapons”.

Implementation

In accordance with Article 2 of the TPNW, Mongolia submitted a declaration to the UN secretary-general on 25 March 2022 confirming that it does not own, possess, or control nuclear weapons, has never done so, and does not host any other state’s nuclear weapons on its territory.

As required by Article 3, Mongolia has a comprehensive safeguards agreement in force with the International Atomic Energy Agency to guard against the misuse of nuclear facilities and materials. It also has an additional protocol in force.

Per Article 12, Mongolia has promoted universal adherence to the TPNW, including by co-sponsoring and consistently voting in favour of an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to the treaty “at the earliest possible date”.

Meetings of states parties

Mongolia participated in the first meeting of states parties to the TPNW in 2022. It urged “all the states to accede to this significant treaty, which will forge a new momentum toward achieving a world free of nuclear weapons”.

It welcomed the adoption by consensus of a declaration and action plan at the meeting of states parties. “We are confident that these documents will enhance the implementation of the treaty’s objective of achieving a total elimination of nuclear weapons”.

Mongolia also participated in the second meeting of states parties in 2023 and the third meeting in 2025.

TPNW negotiations

Mongolia participated in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and was among 122 states that voted in favour of its adoption.

In its opening statement to the negotiating conference, Mongolia expressed its hope that the treaty-making process would “establish a strong, robust but effective legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.

Following the treaty’s adoption, the then-minister of foreign affairs of Mongolia, Tsend Munkh-Orgil, welcomed the new agreement, noting that “[c]urrent tensions have only deepened the concern associated with nuclear weapons”.

In 2016, Mongolia voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.

Before the negotiations

Mongolia was among 127 states that endorsed a “humanitarian pledge” in 2015–16 to cooperate “in efforts to stigmatise, prohibit, and eliminate nuclear weapons”. The pledge was instrumental in building momentum and support for convening the TPNW negotiations.

Further information

Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor

Mongolia

Nuclear-weapon-free state

Has joined the TPNW

Status

Accession

National position

Implementation

Meetings of states parties

TPNW negotiations

Before the negotiations

Further information

Local Partner Organizations

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