Papua New Guinea
At a Pacific Roundtable hosted by New Zealand on 7 December 2021, Papua New Guinea stated that it hoped to become a state party to the TPNW soon.[1] Approval by the National Executive Council and Parliament is pending.
TPNW Status
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compatible |
| Test | Compatible | |
| Possess or stockpile | 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 (2022) |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | No |
| 1MSP 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 |
| Other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) treaties | |
|---|---|
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1985, Rarotonga) |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1982) |
| Ratified the CTBT | No (Signed 1996) |
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 1980) |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1996) |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards agreement | Yes |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | Yes (Modified) |
| Additional Protocol | No |
| Enrichment facilities/reprocessing plants | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
Latest developments
Papua New Guinea voted in favour of the adoption of the 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 2022.
Papua New Guinea 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.
At the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in August 2022, the Pacific Small Island Developing States, of which Papua New Guinea is a member, delivered a joint statement which said: “We are gravely concerned about the serious shortfalls in the implementation of Article VI of the NPT although the nuclear weapon states have spent billions of dollars on modernizing and maintaining their nuclear arsenals. This amount could have been better spent on helping victims of past use and testing of nuclear weapons, fighting the global pandemic of Covid-19 and on the sustainable development goals.” The statement also said that ‘Despite the unfortunate recent behavior, following the invasion of Ukraine, and hinting at their possible use, there is hope’, and noted the entry into force of the TPNW and the convening of the Treaty's First Meeting of states Parties (1MSP).2
Recommendations
- Papua New Guinea should urgently adhere to the TPNW.
- Papua New Guinea should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol with the IAEA.
- Papua New Guinea should also ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).