The Pacific Islands have long been at the forefront of global nuclear disarmament efforts. Afflicted by hundreds of nuclear and radioactive material tests by powerful nuclear weapons states from 1946 to 1996, Pacific countries came together to create a nuclear weapons free zone (NWFZ) through the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga in 1985. Even as the region continues to suffer the intergenerational human and environmental effects of those nuclear tests, Pacific states have made continuous efforts toward keeping the region free from nuclear weapons. In recent years, however, they find themselves navigating the escalating geopolitical competition and growing militarism of major powers. The aggravating climate crisis has also brought urgency to the question of nuclear risks and safety.

Experts from the region come together on a panel hosted by APLN to discuss how contemporary nuclear policies of nuclear weapons states pose serious challenges for the Pacific region, and what can be done to strengthen the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone.