Oman
Oman voted in favour of adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the UN diplomatic conference in 2017 and has consistently voted in favour of the annual UN General Assembly resolutions on the Treaty, including in 2025. It maintains policies and practices that are compatible with all of the prohibitions in Article 1 of the TPNW, and can therefore sign and ratify or accede to the Treaty without the need for a change in conduct.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | No | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1997) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2003) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | No | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2006) | |
| AP with the IAEA | No | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 1992) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1995) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Possess or stockpile | Compatible | |
| Test | Compatible | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compatible |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compatible |
| (d) | Use | Compatible |
| Threaten to use | Compatible | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compatible |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compatible |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compatible |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted yes (2025) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | No |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | No |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | N/A |
| 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 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Oman expressed deep concern regarding ‘extended nuclear deterrence policies, the development of low-yield nuclear warheads, and practices of nuclear-weapon sharing’. These policies, it said, ‘perpetuate an international arms race and undermine security and stability’.1
At a high-level event on 26 September 2025 marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Oman reiterated ‘its strong condemnation of the nuclear statements and threats issued by Israeli officials against the countries and peoples of the region, including the threat of using nuclear weapons against the Palestinian people in Gaza’.2
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Oman delivered a statement on behalf of the Arab Group, which expressed support for ‘the principles and purposes’ of the TPNW and the fact that the Treaty places ‘nuclear weapons in their rightful position as weapons that violate the most basic rules of international humanitarian law’.3
In its national capacity, Oman said that ‘the continued existence of nuclear weapons and the modernization of arsenals poses an existential threat to humanity’. ‘The Sultanate of Oman believes that the path towards a world free of nuclear weapons requires genuine political will, real international cooperation, and a collective commitment to implementing relevant UN treaties and resolutions,’ it said.4
Recommendations
-
Oman should urgently adhere to the TPNW.
-
Oman should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol (AP) with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).