The 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) concluded on May 22. Held every five years, the conference offers an opportunity to evaluate the treaty’s implementation, respond to technological and geopolitical developments, and reinforce states’ commitment to the treaty. For the third time in a row, the conference failed to reach consensus on a final document.We asked five experts for their perspectives on what the conference achieved — or failed to achieve.Read more below.Ankit Panda Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for I
The perennial failure of NPT review conferences to reach consensus, highlighted again here, reflects growing global geopolitical fragmentation and a waning commitment to multilateral nuclear disarmament frameworks.
A sophisticated reader should care because the inability to reinforce the NPT weakens nuclear non-proliferation efforts, increasing the risk of proliferation and regional instability in a multipolar world.
The ongoing lack of consensus diminishes the NPT's credibility and effectiveness as a cornerstone of global nuclear security, potentially leading states to reconsider existing restraints or pursue their own nuclear deterrents.
- · States pursuing nuclear weapon programs
- · Nuclear weapons states modernizing arsenals
- · Multilateral disarmament initiatives
- · Global non-proliferation efforts
- · International norm-setting bodies
The NPT's inability to adapt or gain full buy-in from members suggests a decline in effective global governance on nuclear issues.
This decline could encourage states to develop or expand nuclear capabilities outside of international oversight, increasing regional arms races.
Ultimately, this erosion of the non-proliferation regime raises the long-term risk of nuclear weapon use through miscalculation or escalation.
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