Lesotho
Lesotho is an example to be followed by other states, as it has adhered to all of the seven key treaties in the legal architecture on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in addition to being party to a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) treaty.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2020) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1970) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 1999) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 2002, Pelindaba) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1973) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2010) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1977) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1994) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (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 (2024) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 2 (16.5%) |
| 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 (Modified) |
Latest developments
At a high-level UN event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of Lesotho, Lejone Mpotjoana, said: ‘Despite progress made towards promoting the full implementation of the [Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)], humankind remains unacceptably close to nuclear annihilation. The world is still on the dangerous brink of nuclear confrontation.’1
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2024, Lesotho said: ‘Rising geopolitical tensions remind us of the unacceptable risks posed by the existence of nuclear weapons.’ It reiterated its ‘commitment to the TPNW’ and pledged to ‘continue to support the principle of complete nuclear disarmament as the utmost prerequisite for maintaining international peace and security’.2
Lesotho was one of the co-sponsors for the 2024 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’.3
Lesotho participated in the African Conference on the Universalisation and Implementation of the TPNW in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in September 2024.4
Recommendations
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Lesotho should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Lesotho should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.