EU Statement - 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): General Statement
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
Please accept my congratulations on the assumption of your duties as President of the 11th NPT Review Conference. The EU will work towards a successful Conference.
The EU has actively contributed to strengthening the current review cycle and secure its inclusivity by significantly supporting the thematic and regional consultations of the NPT RevCon President.
Mr. President,
The EU reiterates its unequivocal support to the NPT as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, and an important element in developing nuclear energy and technology applications for peaceful purposes. We recognise its value and its historic achievements. For over five decades the NPT has provided security benefits to all States Parties. The Treaty contains a legally binding obligation towards nuclear disarmament and has enabled a significant reduction in nuclear weapons stockpiles from Cold War highs, paved the way for certain States to renounce nuclear weapons, and curbed nuclear proliferation. The EU reaffirms the importance of universalising the NPT and calls on all States that have not yet done so, in particular India, Israel and Pakistan, to join it as non-nuclear-weapon States and, pending their accession, to adhere to its terms.
The Treaty faces notable challenges, including increasingly high tensions and a resurgence of nuclear rhetoric. The EU condemns in the strongest possible way Russia’s actions, its nuclear rhetoric and its threats to use nuclear force in its war of aggression against Ukraine which are irresponsible, provocative, dangerous and escalatory, with Moscow prioritising its war effort over its non-proliferation and disarmament obligations and commitments. This includes deep concern about Russia’s announced deployment of nuclear weapons in the territory of Belarus. Ongoing regional proliferation crises, China’s rapid and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal, and an uneven implementation of obligations and commitments, also contribute to this complex situation.
The EU strongly supports all three mutually reinforcing pillars of the NPT and the comprehensive, balanced and full implementation of the 2010 Action Plan. We stress the urgent need to implement all obligations under the NPT, as well as commitments made during previous Review Conferences, including the need for concrete progress towards full implementation of Article VI, with the ultimate goal of total elimination of nuclear weapons.
The EU notes the very severe consequences associated with nuclear weapons use and emphasises that all States share the responsibility to prevent such an occurrence from happening.
We meet at a moment of ongoing strain on international peace and security. Disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation regimes are under increasing pressure as geopolitical rivalry intensifies, principles of international law are undermined, and landmark agreements are broken or are ended. The EU calls on all States concerned to abstain from any steps that would further escalate tensions and undermine the significant arsenal reductions achieved after the end of the Cold War.
Recalling the obligations for all nuclear-weapon States arising from Article VI of the NPT, the EU reiterates its commitment to further reductions of nuclear arsenals and, underlining the special responsibility of the States with the largest nuclear arsenals, strongly encourages seeking further reductions to their nuclear arsenals, including strategic and non-strategic, as well as deployed and non-deployed, nuclear weapons. In this context, the EU notes the potential serious repercussions of the expiry of the New START Treaty. The absence of agreed limits and verification measures risks miscalculation and arms racing. The EU calls for urgent work towards a new legally binding framework limiting the largest nuclear arsenals. We urge Russia to engage meaningfully and call on China to contribute and engage actively and constructively.
Mr. President,
The EU strongly encourages nuclear-weapon States to pursue discussions on confidence building, transparency, risk reduction and verification, laying the ground for the negotiation of robust future arms control agreements and reporting. While not a substitute for nuclear disarmament, concrete risk reduction measures contribute to the prevention of nuclear war, can play a major role in creating trust, confidence and predictability, and complements disarmament and arms control efforts.
Anyexplosive nuclear weapon test by any State would be harmful and destabilising for global non-proliferation efforts and for international peace and security. The EU remains deeply committed to the entry into force of theComprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and urges all States that have not yet done so, in particular those in Annex 2, to sign and ratify it without precondition or delay. The EU reaffirms its commitment to uphold and strengthen the norm against nuclear testing. It calls on all States to abide by the existing moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosion, and to refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty. We call on Russia to reverse its unprecedented decision to revoke its ratification of the CTBT and, in the meantime, respect the CTBT’s object and purpose.
The EU strongly supports the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and attaches great importance to its mandate and its impartial, independent and objective role. IAEA safeguards are a fundamental component of the NPT. Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements, together with the Additional Protocol, constitute the current IAEA verification standard under Article III of the NPT and should be universalised. We reiterate our call for their universalisation without delay. Effective export controls are fundamental to comply with non-proliferation obligations under Article III of the NPT.
We reiterate that Iran must never be allowed to seek, develop or acquire a nuclear weapon. We continue to urge Iran to fully adhere to its legal obligations under the NPT and its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and to resume full cooperation with the IAEA. The EU remains committed to diplomacy efforts as the only way to bring about a durable solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.
Developments in Iran and the wider region threaten both regional and global security. The EU welcomes the ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran. We urge all involved to fully respect the ceasefire across the region, cease all military operations and fully ensure freedom of navigation, in line with the international law. All parties must comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Diplomacy is key to resolve all outstanding issues and parties should engage in good faith in efforts to reach a sustainable agreement on all areas of concern.
The EU reiterates its call on the DPRK to abandon all its weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner as required by relevant United Nations Security Council resolution. The DPRK will never be accepted as a nuclear-weapon State under the NPT or have any other special status in that regard. The EU urges the DPRK to engage in meaningful discussions with all relevant parties to build a basis for sustainable peace and security and take steps aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. The EU is deeply concerned about Russia’s disturbing shift of position on the DPRK’s denuclearisation since 2024.
The EU is concerned over the potential implications of armed attacks against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes, recalls the importance of upholding the IAEA’s seven pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security in armed conflicts, and calls upon States to refrain from such actions, in accordance with international law. The EU recalls with grave concern the severe implications of Russia’s war of aggression for safeguards and for nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, especially the illegal seizure and militarisation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). We recall the importance of upholding the IAEA’s five principles for ensuring nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s ZNPP.
The EU acknowledges the importance of existing nuclear weapon free zones for peace and security and remains committed to the implementation of the Resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 NPT Review Conference. The EU welcomes the convening of the six sessions of the UN Conferences on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and their outcomes.
The EU reaffirms its support for the inalienable right of all Parties to the NPT to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with the NPT. The EU reiterates its commitment to the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and safeguards, essential to a responsible, safe and secure development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We recognize the IAEA’s fundamental role and the EU’s significant funding of its activities.
The EU acknowledges the progress made in this review cycle to strengthen the NPT review process, including proposals on transparency and accountability. The EU, on the basis of its Working Paper, will engage actively to achieve a systematic and structured peer-to-peer-review of national implementation reports and further qualitative improvements of reporting.
The EU underlines that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are top cross-cutting priorities. It is important to integrate gender perspectives into discussions across the NPT.
Thank you, Mr. President.
- ^ North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.