A Letter from IPPNWC’s President: Reflections on the NPT

August 6,2024 

Dear friends and colleagues,   

I write this, seventy nine years to the day, after thousands of fellow human-beings died in the most gruesome manner from a weapon so terrible and so new that its impact was a matter of speculation.  

We now know its impact.  

The first nuclear explosion targeted at human beings has changed the world. 

We have a nuclear sword of Damocles over our heads that could change life irrevocably for every one of us and for this fragile planet that groans under our demands. 

The nuclear weapons’ states (NWS) that are members of the UN Security Council and signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty  (NPT) are straining every nerve to modernize their arsenal so that it can be more deadly.  They compete with each other to guarantee that when these weapons are used that the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima will seem like a fire-cracker. 

These NWS are the permanent members of the UN Security Council with the mandate to ensure the peace, safety and well-being of humanity.   Various legal instruments and treaties have been crafted to keep the nuclear genie in its lamp. The Non-Proliferation Treaty is one of these.  

In place since 1970, it was made permanent in 1995.  It is reviewed every 5 years. The process of review includes a series of preparatory committee  (PrepCom) meetings.  

The second PrepCom for the 2025 review was held in Geneva, July  20-August 2, 2024. 

 I joined the IPPNW delegations organized by Chuck Johnson and his team for the first week. It was a memorable experience.  

It consisted of presentations from various countries with a light sprinkling of input from civil society organizations.  The chair then attempts to make a summary of the proceedings. 

The treaty has three pillars, disarmament, non-proliferation and promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear power. 

There was much discussion. 

Disarmament was blithely ignored even though the NPT requires that there be negotiations toward disarmament. The International Court of Justice has ruled that this should actually end in disarmament.  Lip service was much in evidence but there is no plan or any movement in this direction.  

Non-proliferation was discussed but with the absence of India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, this was a little surreal.  Much was made of the punctilious observance by the US of the NPT in this regard as the US baked in its proliferation efforts to 5 countries in Europe prior to their signing of the treaty. They made much of Russia’s breach by placing nuclear weapons in Belarus. It struck me a little of the kettle calling the pot black.  It may have been the letter of the NPT but certainly not its spirit.  

Much was made, particularly by the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) on its promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear technology, particularly related to cancer therapy in Africa, food safety and various uses in agriculture. A prominent attractive display outlining this was immediately available adjacent to the door of the meeting chamber.   

Safety and security of fissile material was highlighted. The transfer of this material from the USA to Australia, under the AUKUS defense agreement, meets the definition of peaceful use. The IAEA is quite sanguine about the crucial role that nuclear energy has in addressing the climate crisis.  

As I reflect today, I am saddened by my first exposure to what is considered by many as the most important element in the global legal architecture to prevent nuclear war. It seemed to me a very performative exercise with a well choreographed dance that has been going on for decades led by those who have no intention of the dance coming to an end.  

As long as nuclear weapons are the tools by which their possessors’ are king among equals in the family of nations, we will not achieve nuclear disarmament.  

As long as we are committed to use violence to manage conflict, nuclear weapons are a trump card.  

Seventy nine years later, we are still faced with the challenge of changing our way of thinking  - and behaving.  

Non-proliferation is not enough. 

The Total Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the treaty that humanity now needs to implement globally.  This will need a clear pathway to disarmament that includes making aggressive wars illegal with the robust and timely means of enforcement.  

This will need to intersect with the role and mandate of other global institutions. The World Health Organization in particularly important. Increasingly, peace is being seen as essential for health. It needs to be at the heart of our efforts if we are to work to make this wonderful world a safer and healthier place for all of us. 

There is much work to be done, new relationships to be forged and maintained and new pathways to explore.  

I look forward to what we can do together.  

Dr. John Guilfoyle