Sudan
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Sudan said that the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) ‘marks a historic milestone, complementing other instruments for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation’. It expressed deep concerns about ‘the weakening of international disarmament and non-proliferation frameworks’, arguing that complete nuclear disarmament offers the only comprehensive assurance against the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons.1
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | No (Signed 2020) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1973) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2004) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | No (Signed 1996, Pelindaba) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1977) | |
| AP with the IAEA | No | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 2003) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Acceded 1999) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (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 (2025) |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | No |
| 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) | Abstained |
| 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, Sudan said: ‘The continued existence of nuclear weapons does not achieve strategic stability; on the contrary, it creates a state of imbalance, increases mistrust, and raises the level of tension.’ It expressed regret that some nuclear-armed States continue to develop their nuclear forces ‘quantitatively and qualitatively, arguing that geopolitical tensions and the security environment do not allow for disarmament at present’.2
Recommendations
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Sudan should urgently ratify the TPNW.
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Sudan should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol (AP) with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
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Sudan should ratify the Pelindaba nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) Treaty, which it signed in 1996.