Is the nuclear order collapsing? Lords launch inquiry
The House of Lords International Relations Committee has launched an inquiry into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and nuclear disarmament. It will examine the state of global nuclear diplomacy and the United Kingdom's role.
Nuclear weapons are on the international agenda in a way they have not been since the end of the Cold War. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been a central component of the rules-based international order since it entered into force in 1970. The 2020 NPT Review Conference will take place in the context of rising tensions between nuclear-armed states, fragmenting nuclear agreements, growing dissatisfaction amongst proponents of disarmament, nuclear modernisation programmes, and a host of other challenges.
The call for evidence for this inquiry includes questions such as:
- What is your evaluation of the current level of risk that nuclear weapons, of any type, could be used?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the NPT ahead of the 2020 Review Conference?
- To what extent do states still view the NPT as relevant?
- To what extent does the existence of three nuclear armed states outside the NPT (India, Israel and Pakistan) destabilise the overall regime?
- To what extent will the United States' withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, as well as US efforts to achieve the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, affect the wider nuclear non-proliferation regime?
- To what extent will technological developments, both directly relating to nuclear weapons and in the wider defence and security sphere, affect nuclear diplomacy?
- How would the so-called ‘Ban Treaty' affect efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and bring about disarmament?
Chair of the House of Lords International Relations Committee Lord Howell of Guildford said:
“The nuclear order, shaped largely by the agreements and underlying doctrine of deterrence developed in the 20th century, is now being challenged by rising tensions between nuclear-armed states, by the collapse of crucial agreements, by the prospect of continuing nuclear proliferation, by the empowerment of non-state actors, as well as by the development of technologies that undermine traditional nuclear thinking.
"Constant endeavours to contain and reduce nuclear risk in changing global conditions must be a continuing international priority. Our inquiry will examine the best ways in which the UK can contribute to this crucial task.”
The deadline for written submissions is Friday 18 January 2019. Details on how to submit evidence can be found here.
