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 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) | 2.33 (22%) |
| 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 (Revised) |
Latest developments
At the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in March 2025, Lesotho said that it regards the Treaty ‘as a vital instrument in efforts to realise a safer and more secure world’. ‘We believe that this Treaty can reduce the salience of nuclear weapons and help prompt more urgent action to reduce nuclear risk and foster disarmament,’ it added, noting that nuclear weapons are prohibited under its penal code.1
Speaking at a high-level event on 26 September 2025 to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of Lesotho, Lejone Mpotjoane, expressed concern that the ‘vision of a world free of nuclear weapons remains distant, despite universal recognition of its necessity’, and ‘efforts to persuade nuclear-armed States to sign and ratify the [TPNW] grow increasingly difficult’.2
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Lesotho underscored its strong 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’. It reiterated its call for nuclear-weapon States to sign and ratify the TPNW ‘to ensure that humanity lives in peace without fear of extinction’.3
Lesotho 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’.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.