The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

2010 NPT Review Conference

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The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) held its 8th Review Conference during 3-28 May in New York 2010. Acronym Institute Director Dr Rebecca Johnson was present at the conference and wrote a daily blog covering the proceedings.

NPT Briefings: 2010 & Beyond

Acronym produced a series of key briefings for the 2010 NPT Review Conference and beyond. Drawing on the knowledge and experience of key thinkers, analysts and experts in the field of multilateral arms control and international security, the briefings address some of the core issues relating to the NPT, non-proliferation and disarmament with the aim of enhancing the conference outcome and developing collective strategies to move towards security in a world free of nuclear weapons.

• 1 - The NPT & Nuclear Disarmament
• 2 - Strengthening the NPT
• 3 - Reducing the Role of Nuclear Weapons
• 4 - Universal Security Assurances
• 5 - 'Tactical' Nuclear Weapons
• 6 - Nuclear Weapons and Deterrence
• 7 - The CTBT's Role in NPT credibility
• 8 - Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium: Stopping the fissile materials that make nuclear weapons
• 9 - Nuclear Power
• 10 - Middle East NWFZ
• 11 - Nuclear Weapons Convention

Key documents

• 2010 NPT Review Conference Final Document, 27 May 2010
• United States Closing Statement to NPT Review Conference 2010, By US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
  Ellen Tauscher, 28 May 2010
• Iran Closing Statement to NPT Review Conference 2010, 28 May 2010
• UNSC Iran Resolution, 19 May 2010
• Now is the time for action on “tactical” nuclear weapons, NGO Letter on Tactical Nuclear Weapons, 14 May 2010
• P5 statement, 5 May 2010

Daily Acronym Institute blogs from conference

• Intro blog: the 2010 NPT Review Conference opens in NY, 2 May 2011
• Day 1 at the NPT: Transparency, Bluster and Practical Commitments, 3 May 2010
• Day 2 at the NPT: Business as usual? 4 May 2010
• Day 3 at NPT: P-5 statement + 3 Subsidiary bodies, 5 May 2010
  
• Day 4 at the NPT: Sad News and Testing Times, 6 May 2010
• NPT Day 5: Nuclear Disarmament Debate Begins, 7 May 2010
• NPT Day 8: Divisions over Safeguards, 10 May 2010
• NPT Day 9: disarmament issues, 13 May 2010
• NPT Day 9: Additional Protocol, safeguards in Committee II, 13 May 2010
• NPT Day 10: Draft reports circulated at half time, 14 May 2010
• NPT Day 13: Half time comments, 17 May 2010
• NPT Day 13: Roundup on Main Committee III on nuclear energy, safety, security and institutional issues, 17 May 2010
• Day 14: NPT Sidelined by Sanctions Resolution on Iran,18 May 2010
• NPT Day 15: Taking Stock, NPT & UK, 19 May 2010
• NPT Day 18: Updates, downgrading HEU and non-strategic weapons, 20 May 2010
• NPT enters final week: High Stakes, Disarmament and Middle East, 23 May 2010
• NPT Day 21: Push Back by nuclear addicts, 24 May 2010
• Day 22: NPT President’s consolidated draft declaration, 25 May 2010
• NPT Day 23: Amid confusion, UN Secretary-General encourages successful outcome, 26 May 2010
• NPT Day 24: Future Hope or Failure? 27 May 2010
• NPT Day 25: SUCCESSFUL adoption of Conclusions, recommendations and action plans, 28 May 2010
• NPT one week after consensus adoption of agreed document, 7 June 2010
  

Other Acronym Anaylsis of the 2010 Rev Con

• Rhetoric and reality, contradictions in the midst of change: The UK government role at the 2010 NPT Review Conference, by Kat Barton, January 2011
  This article explores the role played by the UK government in the run-up to, during and after the 2010 NPT Review Conference and reflects on the prospects for the UK's fulfilment of its disarmament obligations under the NPT. It will be published in Italian in March 2011 in Chiara Bonaiuti and Achille Lodovisi (ed.), 'Perspectives for Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament between Rhetoric and Reality, The NPT at the VIII Review Conference, The role of Europe', Italian Yearbook on Arms and Disarmament, Pisa, Edizioni Plus.

• Assessing the NPT Review Conference, by Rebecca Johnson
  In this article for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Acronym Institute Director Dr Rebecca Johnson, reflects on this year's NPT Review Conference calling it 'a necessary success' with 'far-reaching implications'. Published July 2010. Download the PDF here

• NPT: Challenging the Nuclear Powers' Fiefdom, 15 June 2010
  The NPT Review provided a bridge between the partial non-proliferation approach of the NPT and the comprehensive abolition objectives of a nuclear weapons convention. It will no longer be possible for governments to dismiss calls for a comprehensive nuclear abolition treaty. Originally published in Open Democracy.

• NPT: the gulf between the nuclear haves and have-nots, 26 May 2010
  The key question as the conference enters the endgame is whether the P-5 nuclear weapon states are willing to drop their demands for the removal of so many of the disarmament commitments that are important to the non-nuclear countries, including references to a nuclear weapons convention or time bound framework to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Originally published by OpenDemocracy

• NPT conference: half time glass half full, 17 May 2010
  Frustration at the failure of nuclear weapon states to honour the agreements made at previous NPT Conferences is growing. In heated exchanges in New York the 184 countries without nuclear weapons want to ensure that this time the NPT outcome has direction, accountability and muscle. Half way through the conference Rebecca Johnson reports that there is still everything to play for. Originally published by OpenDemocracy

• United States at the NPT: how far will the 'good guy' go? 11 May 2010
  Unless the role and value assigned to nuclear weapons in deterrence is challenged among the nuclear-armed states, the notion of nuclear deterrence will remain seductive – and a proliferation drive. Those wanting to bring about real security in a non-nuclear-armed world need to do far more at this NPT Conference. Rebecca Johnson reports from New York. Originally published by OpenDemocracy
  
  
• Nuclear weapons: beyond non-proliferation? April 2010
  The stakes are high and the outcome too close to call as the Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty opens for four weeks of intense debate in New York. Acronym Institute Director Rebecca Johnson considers the challanges faces the 2010 NPT Review Conference. Originally published by OpenDemocracy.
  
  
• Rethinking the NPT's Role in Security, March 2010
  This paper is written by Acronym Institute Director Rebecca Johnson and was originally published in the Chatham House journal 'International Affairs'.
  
  
• Beyond Existing Treaties, February 2010
  This article considers what is needed to advance the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. It appears in the February 2010 issue of the US State Department's monthly 'eJournal USA' entitled A World Free of Nuclear Weapons. [Read the original verson here.]
  
  
• Elements for an Action Plan for Nuclear Disarmament & Non-Proliferation at the 2010 NPT Review Conference, January 2010
  This paper is based on the presentation given by Acronym Institute Director Rebecca Johnson at the international NPT workshop hosted by the President-designate for the forthcoming 2010 NPT Review Conference, Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, in Manila in February. It draws on various ideas and discussions, with particular appreciation to John Burroughs, author of the excellent NPT briefing paper published by the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI) in January 2010.
  
  
• An Introduction to 2010 NPT Review Conference by Acronym Institute Director Rebecca Johnson, January 2010.
  
  
• A video of Rebecca Johnson giving her views ahead of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May 2010.
  

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