Undecided
Belarus
Umbrella state (bilateral with Russia)
Belarus did not participate in the TPNW negotiations in 2017 and has not yet adhered to the Treaty. It has consistently abstained on the UN General Assembly resolutions on the TPNW in 2018, 2019, and 2020. As an umbrella state, Belarus is not in compliance with all of the prohibitions in Article 1. It may sign and ratify the TPNW, but will have to make changes to its policies and practices to become compliant.
| TPNW status |
|---|
| Not signed, not ratified, not acceded |
| Compatibility with prohibitions in TPNW Article 1(1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Art 1(1)(a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Test | Compatible | |
| Possess or stockpile | Compatible | |
| Art 1(1)(b) | Transfer | Compatible |
| Art 1(1)(c) | Receive transfer or control | Compatible |
| Art 1(1)(d) | Use | Compatible |
| Threaten to use | Compatible | |
| Art 1(1)(e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Not compatible |
| Art 1(1)(f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compatible |
| Art 1(1)(g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compatible |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| Vote on negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Abstained |
| Participated in treaty negotiations (% women) | No (N/A) |
| Vote on adoption of treaty text | N/A |
| Last vote on UNGA resolution | Abstained |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Fissile material production facilities | No |
| Highly enriched uranium stocks | 100–1,000 kg |
| Plutonium stocks (military/civilian) | No/No |
| Related treaties and regimes | |
|---|---|
| Party to the NPT | Yes |
| Party to a NWFZ | No |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes |
| Party to the PTBT | Yes |
| Member of the CD | Yes |
| IAEA CSA in force | Yes |
| IAEA AP in force | No (Signed 2005) |
| Party to the CWC | Yes |
| Party to the BWC | Yes |
Latest developments
Speaking in First Committee at the 2020 UN General Assembly, Belarus argued that problems related to nuclear weapons and failure to implement the NPT are becoming more acute. It also regretted that there are no NWFZs in Europe. See: bit.ly/3fkgEqc.
Recommendations
- Belarus should ensure that nuclear weapons do not have a role in its national defence plans and security policies. It should renounce the retention and potential use of nuclear weapons on its behalf, for instance through a declaratory statement, and refrain from endorsing future alliance statements in support of weapons of mass destruction.
- Belarus should urgently sign and ratify the TPNW, and encourage other states to adhere to the Treaty. Until it is in a position to do so, it should welcome the TPNW as a valuable contribution to the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture, attend its meetings of states parties as an observer, and work with its states parties on practical steps towards disarmament.
- Belarus should bring into force its Additional Protocol (AP) with the IAEA.
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