By Janet Ekstract
NEW YORK- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation Of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the opening of UN talks on the treaty on Monday. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also underscored its importance and said that proliferation is a threat to international peace and security. Blinken lauded the NPT for its role in maintaining global nonproliferation and commented that almost every country in the world joined NPT. He added that countries have “safeguards in place to monitor their nuclear programs.” Blinken explained that the conference known as “The Review Conference” is an “invaluable opportunity” to determine how best to reduce nuclear conflict risks and how to avoid “miscommunication during a crisis.” He said the U.S. is committed to “pursuing a comprehensive risk reduction package” that includes the creation of secure communications channels between states possessing nuclear weapons. Blinken added: “We stand ready to work with all partners, including China and others, on risk reduction and strategic stability efforts.” The secretary of state added that nuclear agreements must be strengthened, “preventing nuclear conflict.”
Blinken pointed out that states with nuclear weapons have moved toward disarmament and that includes the U.S. He said that the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile is 90 percent lower than it was in 1967. He added that regions such as the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Africa have joined Latin America and the Caribbean “in declaring their countries nuclear weapons-free zones.” He cited what he said is “a critical moment” for all countries to unite on nonproliferation and that while nuclear technology has been used for peaceful and safe purposes, in the current global climate – the threat of a nuclear conflict remains high. Blinken highlighted the fact that North Korea is readying to conduct its seventh nuclear test and warned that Iran is headed toward “nuclear escalation.” Blinken added that in January, President Biden and leaders of other NPT nuclear weapon states that include China, France, Russia and the UK did agree “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
Meanwhile, Blinken reiterated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “brazen violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter, and it’s also contrary to the rules-based international order that we all seek to uphold.” He said that the U.S: “believes that all nuclear-armed states have a duty to act responsibly. We’ve chosen to act with restraint and avoid actions that could unintentionally add to nuclear tensions – for example, by forgoing previously scheduled ICBM tests and not raising the alert status of our nuclear forces in response to Russian saber-rattling.” He added that the states all stand against using nuclear for blackmail and manipulation. Blinken said that along with the UK and France, the U.S. has “released a set of principles and best practices” that are expected of every responsible NPT nuclear weapon state and that every effort has to be made to ensure that nuclear weapons are not used again.”
