Europe is a major obstacle to nuclear disarmament, latest Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor warns

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The 2023 edition of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor, published by ICAN partner Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), found that, while over two-thirds of the worlds states already abide by all of the prohibitions of the 2017 United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), 45 states still engage in activities that are not compatible with the treaty. Of these states, 70% are in Europe. 

Read the Report

The Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor tracks global adherence to the TPNW and its obligations and prohibitions as a measure of the progress and impact of the treaty. 

The 2023 report comes as states gather at the Preparatory Committee of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT Prepcom), where the 5 nuclear weapon states and their allies continue to point fingers and deflect responsibility for the nuclear arms race and heightened risks. 

In 2023 the monitor found that 32 of the 45 states that currently engage in activities that are not compatible with the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons —over 70%— are European states. The report outlines how umbrella states have continued to aid and abet nuclear armament and why they “bear a considerable degree of responsibility for the continued development and possession of nuclear weapons and the associated nuclear risks that the entire international community is forced to endure.” 

Daniel Högsta, Deputy Director of ICAN, welcomed the report: "Amidst the heightened nuclear threats in the context of the war in Ukraine, the urgency of our moment is undeniable. This report plays a crucial role in bringing to light the troubling practice of nuclear sharing, which starkly contradicts the prohibitions set by the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). With nuclear weapons stationed across several European countries and recent developments in Belarus, the risks are more pressing than ever. The TPNW emerges as a critical framework, not only for prohibiting nuclear weapons but also for addressing the irresponsible sharing practices that endanger global security. The international community must urgently rally around the TPNW to prevent a catastrophic escalation and secure our future."

It is in the TPNW where the monitor finds reason for optimism, highlighting that: 

  • One hundred and fifty states—or more than three thirds of all states—already abide by all of the prohibitions of the TPNW, while a sizeable minority of 45 states currently engage in activities that are not compatible with the Treaty
  • As a result of the TPNW, interest in providing support to states affected by nuclear weapons use and testing continued to grow in 2023. States parties and civil society met frequently in 2023 to advance implementation of the TPNW’s Article 6 obligations to provide assistance to individuals affected by nuclear weapons use and testing and to remediate contaminated environments. 
  • States parties and signatories to the TPNW are vocal in their support for the treaty and their efforts to get other states on board.  
  • There is an  role for nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZs): the Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW in 2023 adopted a declaration that made a special plea for adherence to the Treaty by members of NWFZ’s ‘in recognition of the shared basis of such treaties and the TPNW’.

About the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor

Every year, Norwegian People's Aid  compiles the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor, tracking the latest assessments of all states' nuclear-weapons-related policies and practices in relation to the comprehensive prohibitions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and analysis of the progress in universalisation of the TPNW and the other global treaties in the legal architecture for disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in. The report also provides country specific profiles which can be found online here.

Read the 2022 report