South Africa
South Africa produced nuclear weapons in the late 1970s but decided in 1989 to give them up and has since advocated for nuclear disarmament. It was at the forefront of the diplomatic process towards a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, including during the negotiation of the TPNW in 2017. South Africa is a state party to the TPNW from 22 January 2021 and is in compliance with all of the prohibitions in Article 1 of the Treaty.
| TPNW status |
|---|
| Signed (20 Sep 2017) and ratified (25 Feb 2019) |
| Compliance with prohibitions in TPNW Article 1(1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Art 1(1)(a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Test | Compliant | |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Art 1(1)(b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| Art 1(1)(e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| Art 1(1)(g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| Vote on negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Participated in treaty negotiations (% women) | Yes (30%) |
| Vote on adoption of treaty text | Voted yes |
| Last vote on UNGA resolution | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Fissile material production facilities | No |
| Highly enriched uranium stocks | 100–1,000 kg |
| Plutonium stocks (military/civilian) | No/No |
| Related treaties and regimes | |
|---|---|
| Party to the NPT | Yes |
| Party to a NWFZ | Yes (Pelindaba) |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Annex 2 state) |
| Party to the PTBT | Yes |
| Member of the CD | Yes |
| IAEA CSA in force | Yes |
| IAEA AP in force | Yes |
| Party to the CWC | Yes |
| Party to the BWC | Yes |
Latest developments
In First Committee of the 2020 UN General Assembly, South Africa said that 'The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is an historic milestone for nuclear disarmament in that it shares with the NPT the core goal of the abolition of nuclear weapons. As we stated before, the two Treaties are fully compatible and indeed complimentary. We are encouraged that the TPNW is fast approaching the 50 ratifications needed to enter-into-force and encourage States that have not done so, to sign and ratify the Treaty. See: bit.ly/3m1sIPW.
Recommendations
- South Africa should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
- South Africa should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.