South Africa
South Africa is an example to be followed by other states, as it has adhered to all of the seven key treaties in the legal architecture on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in addition to being party to a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) treaty.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2019) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1991) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 1999, Annex 2 state) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 1998, Pelindaba) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1991) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2002) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1975) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1995) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | 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 (2024) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 11.5 (23%) |
| 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 | Yes |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | 100-1000 kg |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | No |
Latest developments
At the Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2023, South Africa was reappointed as a co-chair, together with Uruguay, of the informal working group on universalisation of the Treaty.1 Throughout 2024, it co-organised a number of events in this capacity, most notably the African Conference on the Universalisation and Implementation of the TPNW in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in September2 and a high-level signing and ratification ceremony for the Treaty in the margins of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in the same month.3
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee session in July 2024, South Africa said that ‘the TPNW’s pertinence and relevance for Article VI of the NPT cannot be overemphasised’.4 ‘The TPNW represents the highest non-proliferation standard that any State can commit to, thereby strengthening and complementing the NPT,’ it added. The TPNW’s adoption in 2017 was ‘a powerful response to the humanitarian imperatives’ for a world without nuclear weapons, it said.5
At a high-level UN event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September 2024, South Africa noted that the TPNW ‘is underpinned by humanitarian and ethical imperatives for nuclear disarmament’ and ‘demonstrates growing support for action against nuclear weapons’.6
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2024, South Africa hailed the TPNW’s entry into force in 2021 as ‘one of the most important developments towards the elimination of nuclear weapons’ in the history of the UN. Moreover, it emphasised that the doctrine of nuclear deterrence is an obstacle to achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.7
South Africa was one of the co-sponsors for the 2024 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which welcomed the Treaty’s entry into force and 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’.8
Recommendations
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South Africa should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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South Africa should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.