Nepal
Attending as an observer the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW (1MSP) in Vienna in June 2022, Nepal said: ‘We should redouble our diplomatic efforts with strong political will to create an environment of mutual trust and confidence and divert precious resources used for armament towards achieving our common development aspirations,’ adding that it is committed to ratifying the TPNW ‘at the earliest possible’.[1]
TPNW Status
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (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 1MSP (2022) | Observer |
| 1MSP delegation size (% women) | 3 (67%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Did not vote |
| Other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) treaties | |
|---|---|
| Party to an NWFZ | No |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1970) |
| Ratified the CTBT | No (Signed 1996) |
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 2016) |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1997) |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards agreement | Yes (22 Jun 1972) |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | Yes (Original) |
| Additional Protocol | No |
| Enrichment facilities/reprocessing plants | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
Latest developments
At the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in August 2022, Nepal welcomed the entry into force of the TPNW and the ‘successful convening’ of its 1MSP.2 In a closing statement, Nepal and 64 other TPNW supporters urged ‘all states committed to attain and maintain a world without nuclear weapons to join the TPNW without delay’.3
Marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September 2022, Nepal said: ‘We need to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament architecture including NPT, TPNW and [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]. We stand for the universality of nuclear disarmament treaties.’4
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2022, Nepal said that the TPNW ‘complements and strengthens the objective of general and complete disarmament’ and reiterated its commitment to ratifying the Treaty.5
Nepal was one of the co-sponsors for the 2022 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.'6
In the First Committee of the 2021 UN General Assembly, Nepal again said of the TPNW that it 'is committed to ratifying the treaty at the earliest possible.'7
Recommendations
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Nepal should urgently ratify the TPNW.
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Nepal should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol with the IAEA, and upgrade to a Modified Small Quantities Protocol.
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Nepal should also ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).