Kiribati
Since 2022, Kiribati has served as a co-chair, together with Kazakhstan, of an informal working group of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on victim assistance, environmental remediation, and international cooperation and assistance. In this capacity, it has held consultations with various stakeholders, including communities affected by the use and testing of nuclear weapons, to advance implementation of Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty, with a focus on the possible establishment of an international trust fund.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2019) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1975) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2000) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1985, Rarotonga) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1990) | |
| AP with the IAEA | No (Signed 2004) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 2025) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Acceded 2000) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | Compliant | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| (d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted yes (2025) |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | Yes |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 7.33 (46%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | No |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | Yes (Original) |
Latest developments
At the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in March 2025, Kiribati hailed the TPNW as ‘a milestone in the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation area’. It described the establishment of an international trust fund on victim assistance under the Treaty as a priority. ‘We must urgently take action to help and support the victims of nuclear weapons,’ it said.1
It served as a vice-president of the bureau for the meeting and was reappointed as a co-chair of the informal working group on victim assistance and environmental remediation.
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Kiribati emphasized that the TPNW complements the NPT, and expressed hope that progress would be achieved ‘towards helping the victims of nuclear testing’.2
In the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2025, the President of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, noted his country’s active support for the TPNW, particularly in the implementation of Article 6 and 7. ‘We fully support the United Nations’ push for a world free of nuclear weapons and are committed to addressing man-made disasters like dumping of nuclear waste, radioactive water discharges, traversing of nuclear-powered submarines, and testing that pose grave risks to our ocean’s fragile health,’ he said.3
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Kiribati reiterated its call for all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the TPNW and said that it looked forward to the establishment of an international trust fund to assist victims of nuclear weapons. It noted that in 2026 ‘the first-ever [UN] meeting on victim assistance and environmental remediation’ would be convened, ‘which Kiribati views as a vital step toward justice and healing for affected communities’.4
Kiribati co-sponsored the 2025 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which welcomed the Treaty’s entry into force and called upon ‘all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve, or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date’.5
Recommendations
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Kiribati should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Kiribati should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.
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Kiribati should bring into force its Additional Protocol (AP) with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and upgrade to a modified Small Quantities Protocol (SQP).
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Kiribati should adhere to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).