April 2021 Revista Española de Defensa 53
Eskinder Debebe/UN
The Treaty defines “Nuclear Weapon States” as those that have
tested a nuclear explosive device before 1967 (United States, Russia,
France, the United Kingdom and China), and it commits them to
disarmament policies, being the multilateral disarmament agreement
that has been concluded with the greatest number of accessions.
This recognition clause, which allows these five countries to possess
nuclear weapons, caused others to question the validity of the
agreement and to develop their own nuclear program. The exception
to the signatories is constituted by three countries with atomic
weapons —Israel, India and Pakistan— that have never signed the
agreement, while North Korea withdrew in 2003.
India and Pakistan demand that the international community
recognize them as fully-fledged nuclear powers under the Treaty.
Israel —not recognized as a Nuclear State because it has not
conducted nuclear tests— maintains a policy of neither confirming
nor denying the existence of its nuclear program. North Korea
justifies its nuclear program by claiming that the United States
poses a threat to the survival of the regime.
Iran is a signatory to the Treaty and, through the IAEA,
demands that Israel unconditionally adhere to it so that all its
nuclear facilities and arsenals may be inspected. Meanwhile, its
nuclear program is part of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA), approved by the Security Council and supervised by
the IAEA (responsible for verifying the peaceful use of its nuclear
energy production). The plan was signed between Iran, the P5+1
(the five permanent members of the Council and Germany)
and the European Union. Although the United States withdrew
from the agreement, reinstating sanctions on Iran, the new US
Administration advocates its reincorporation.
The NPT has been the driving force behind two important
bilateral Treaties: INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) and
New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). Last year, the INF
was suspended, with no possibility of return and under mutual
accusations of non-compliance between the United States and
Russia. It would be convenient if a new one could be negotiated
within the framework of the NPT that would encompass it, as it
was a crucial agreement for European security. The New START,
which keeps the arsenals of the United States and Russia below
their Cold War levels, was set to expire on February 5th, 2021, but
the new US Administration decided to extend it to allow more time
for future negotiations with Russia. Moscow accepted the proposal
and, on February 3rd, the Treaty was extended for five years, this
being good news in the area of disarmament and the limitation of
nuclear weapons after several years of disappointment.
The Stockholm Initiative, in which Spain participates together
with fifteen other countries, aims to promote the NPT through
decisive advances in the control and reduction of nuclear
weapons. Its main features (known as the six Cs) are: Common
ground (generate political support), Compatibility (do not replace
other existing initiatives), Composition (different perspectives),
Collaboration (inclusive), Concept (action-oriented methodology)
and Confidence-building (build trust). Last year, the Initiative
countries adopted the Berlin Declaration, containing 22 specific
steps (stepping stones) to mobilize the international community in
Celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the NPT
at UN headquarters
in March 2020.