South Sudan
South Sudan acceded to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in April 2023. South Sudan abstained from voting on the annual UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW in 2023, having voted in favour of it in 2021 and having been absent for the vote in 2022. South Sudan 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
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compatibility in 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (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) | Abstained (2023) |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | No |
| 2MSP delegation size (% women) | N/A |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Did not vote |
| 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 | No |
| Ratified the CTBT | No |
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 2023) |
| Party to the CWC | No |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards agreement | No |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | No |
| Additional Protocol | No |
| Enrichment facilities/reprocessing plants | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
Latest developments
In January 2023, South Sudan participated in an African regional seminar on universalisation of the TPNW in Pretoria, hosted by the South African foreign ministry.1
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in February 2020 that South Sudan supports the TPNW and the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons and intends to become a state party 'in due course'.2
Recommendations
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South Sudan should urgently adhere to the TPNW.
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South Sudan should adhere to the Pelindaba NWFZ Treaty.
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South Sudan should conclude and bring into force a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and an Additional Protocol with the IAEA.
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South Sudan should also adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
2) Meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Sudan and ICAN in Geneva, 27 February 2020.