Namibia
In a statement marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said that Namibia’s ratification of the TPNW and various other disarmament treaties ‘stands as a testament to our collective commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons’.[1]
TPNW Status
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Test | Compliant | |
| Possess or stockpile | 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 (2023) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| 2MSP delegation size (% women) | 2 (50%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) treaties | |
|---|---|
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 2012, Pelindaba) |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1992) |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2001) |
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 2022) |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1995) |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards agreement | Yes (15 Apr 1998) |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | Yes (Modified) |
| Additional Protocol | Yes |
| Enrichment facilities/reprocessing plants | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
Latest developments
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2023, Namibia said that it remained ‘concerned by the reluctance of nuclear-weapon states to join the TPNW’, adding that the TPNW ‘can earnestly contribute to a world free of nuclear weapons’ and ‘its universalisation is key’.2
Namibia participated in, and served as a vice-president of, the Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW (2MSP) in November and December 2023, which it described as ‘an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty and take concrete steps towards its universalisation and implementation’. ‘The TPNW is anchored in the fundamental principles of international law, including the right to life, the right to peace and the non-use of force. It fills a critical void in the existing nuclear disarmament architecture. … [It] is a powerful symbol of our shared aspiration for a safer and more secure world. It represents a powerful affirmation of the shared responsibility of all States to protect humanity from the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons,’ Namibia said.3
Namibia was one of the co-sponsors for the 2023 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which 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
In January 2023, Namibia participated in an African regional seminar on universalisation of the TPNW in Pretoria, hosted by the South African foreign ministry.5
Recommendations
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Namibia should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Namibia should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.