Between Aspiration and Reality

Author: Angela Kane

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is a key pillar of the world’s global arms control architecture. At the same time, discontent about the slow progress in nuclear disarmament led to the adoption of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in September 2017. As Member States are gearing up for the 2020 Review Conference of NPT parties, consensus between countries with and without nuclear weapons remains difficult to achieve. To search for common ground and to overcome the divergent positions, this publication outlines a number of concrete steps to be taken to dispel tension and improve the atmosphere for finding consensus.