Rejecting nuclearism II

Abstract

Chapter 7 focuses on the fifth element of nuclearism identified in Chapter 1, namely the way in which the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been used to uphold an unequal nuclear order. It identifies the pressures currently facing the NPT, including the refusal of nuclear states to disarm or move towards small steps or risk-reduction measures, the anger felt by many non-nuclear states as a result, and the potential danger of these latter states discarding the NPT because of these broken promises. It suggests that the NPT has been stretched to its limits, largely as a result of the P5 states’ appropriation of its structures and processes to privilege their own position in the global nuclear order. The chapter looks at how the TPNW achieves the following: the clear proscription of nuclear weapons for all states, the treaty’s implications for both disarmament and non-proliferation, a legal status which puts pressure on the nuclear states to justify their military choices, and how it reinforces the norms of international law. The TPNW thus poses a challenge for states committed to a rules-based international order and human rights. Nuclear weapon states, as well as their allies, will face a choice of adhering to the latter or continuing to support weapons of mass destruction which have now been discredited under international law. In sum, the creation of the TPNW represents a fundamental challenge to the primacy of the NPT and the established nuclear order.