Bhutan
Bhutan voted in favour of adopting the TPNW at the UN Diplomatic Conference in 2017 and has consistently voted in favour of the annual UN General Assembly resolutions on the Treaty, including in 2021.
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Test | Compatible | |
| Possess or stockpile | Compatible | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compatible |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compatible |
| (d) | Use | Compatible |
| Threaten to use | Compatible | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compatible |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compatible |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compatible |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| 2021 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| 2020 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| 2019 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| 2018 UNGA resolution on TPNW | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations | Yes |
| Share of women in TPNW negotiations | 33% |
| Vote on adoption of treaty text | Voted yes |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards Agreement | Yes |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | Yes (Original) |
| Additional Protocol | No |
| Fissile material production facilities | No |
| Highly enriched uranium stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks (mil/civ) | No/No |
| Related treaties and regimes | |
|---|---|
| Party to the BWC | Yes |
| Party to the CWC | Yes |
| Party to the PTBT | Yes |
| Ratified the CTBT | No |
| Party to the NPT | Yes |
| Party to a NWFZ | No |
| Member of the CD | No |
Latest developments
Bhutan maintains policies and practices that are compatible with all of the prohibitions in Article 1 of the TPNW, and can therefore sign and ratify or accede to the Treaty without the need for a change in conduct.
In the 2021 UN General Assembly's High-Level Plenary Meeting to Commemorate and Promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Bhutan associated itself with a statement by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which said: 'Being a staunch proponent of multilateral diplomacy, the Non-Aligned Movement reiterate its determination to promote multilateralism as the core principle of negotiations in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. The Movement takes note of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on 22 January 2021. It is hoped that the Treaty would contribute to furthering the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons.'1
Recommendations
- Bhutan should urgently adhere to the TPNW.
- Bhutan should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol with the IAEA, and upgrade to a Modified Small Quantities Protocol. Bhutan should also sign and ratify the CTBT.