Zambia
Zambia's Ministry of Defence had indicated in November 2021 that the government would pursue ratification of the TPNW early in 2022. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it has prepared a ratification memorandum. Action by the Parliament is pending.[1]
TPNW Status
| TPNW Article 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Test | Compliant | |
| Possess or stockpile | 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 (2023) |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | No |
| 1MSP 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 | Yes (Ratified 2010, Pelindaba) |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 1991) |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2006) |
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 2008) |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 2001) |
| IAEA safeguards and fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Safeguards agreement | Yes |
| TPNW Art 3(2) deadline | N/A |
| Small Quantities Protocol | Yes (Original) |
| Additional Protocol | No (Signed 2009) |
| Enrichment facilities/reprocessing plants | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
Latest developments
Zambia was one of the co-sponsors for the 2022 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which 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.'2
At the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in August 2022, Zambia delivered a statement on behalf of the African Group in the UN, which welcomed the adoption of the TPNW and stressed that it ‘does not undermine the NPT, but rather complements and strengthens the nuclear non-proliferation regime with the NPT as its foundation’.The statement also urged ‘all states to support the TPNW by signing and ratifying the Treaty at an early date’.3 In a closing statement to the NPT Review Conference, Zambia and 64 other TPNW supporters urged ‘all states committed to attain and maintain a world without nuclear weapons to join the TPNW without delay’.4
Recommendations
- Zambia should urgently ratify the TPNW.
- Zambia should bring into force its Additional Protocol with the IAEA, and upgrade to a Modified Small Quantities Protocol.
1) Communications from the Ministry of Defence of Zambia to ICAN, 23 November 2021.