Beyond the 2010 NPT Review Conference: What’s next for nuclear disarmament?

Abstract

Although many have hailed the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference as a success, this author argues that some felt the final document hid the resistance of nuclear weapon states to making meaningful commitments to disarmament and the resulting reluctance of non-nuclear weapon states to agree on substantial measures toward non proliferation. At the intergovernmental level, the call for “political will” for nuclear disarmament is strong; but, the author writes, the elites discussing and deciding issues like arms control and disarmament have managed to disconnect them from broader issues of global order and domestic governance, thereby excluding the citizens directly affected by these issues. Achieving nuclear disarmament, the author writes, will require the engagement of people resolved to face the challenges of our time with a focus on justice, peace, and international security.