Austria
Austria was at the forefront of the diplomatic process towards a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, including during the negotiation of the TPNW in 2017. Austria is a state party to the TPNW from 22 January 2021 and is in compliance with all of the prohibitions in Article 1 of the Treaty.
| TPNW status |
|---|
| Signed (20 Sep 2017) and ratified (8 May 2018) |
| Compliance with prohibitions in TPNW Article 1(1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Art 1(1)(a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Test | Compliant | |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Art 1(1)(b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| Art 1(1)(e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| Vote on negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Participated in treaty negotiations (% women) | Yes (21%) |
| Vote on adoption of treaty text | Voted yes |
| Last vote on UNGA resolution | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Fissile material production facilities | No |
| Highly enriched uranium stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks (military/civilian) | No/No |
| Related treaties and regimes | |
|---|---|
| Party to the NPT | Yes |
| Party to a NWFZ | No |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Annex 2 state) |
| Party to the PTBT | Yes |
| Member of the CD | Yes |
| IAEA CSA in force | Yes |
| IAEA AP in force | Yes |
| Party to the CWC | Yes |
| Party to the BWC | Yes |
Latest developments
Austria has announced that it will host the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW, and that its 'ambition and aim is clear: to lay the foundations for a world free of nuclear weapons.' At the 2020 UN General Assembly's High-Level Plenary Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Austria said: 'By now, it is very clear that the so-called advantages of nuclear weapons do not exist. Nuclear deterrence does not increase security! Let's finally lay this myth to rest. As long as they exist, these weapons will remain a constant threat for peace and security for all nations.' See: bit.ly/2UJfMCb, bit.ly/2UX3QNv.
Recommendations
- Austria should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
- Austria should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.