Story by Online Reporter
THE African Group has renewed calls for accelerated global nuclear disarmament, warning that rising geopolitical tensions, nuclear risks and stalled treaty commitments are undermining international peace and security.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Group at the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, urged nuclear-weapon states to demonstrate “genuine political will” and meet long-standing disarmament obligations.
“The African Group deeply regrets the failure of the two preceding Review Conferences to adopt a consensus final document,” Ambassador Ibrahim said, cautioning that continued deadlock risks eroding confidence in the NPT review process.
He warned that the global security environment had deteriorated significantly, with growing nuclear risks and geopolitical tensions placing humanity under renewed threat.
“The threat posed to humanity by the continued reliance on nuclear weapons is not abstract: it is real, present and growing,” he said.
Reaffirming the Group’s position, he stressed that the total elimination of nuclear weapons remains the only guarantee of global security.
“The African Group supports the principle of the total elimination of nuclear weapons, as the utmost and essential prerequisite for maintaining international peace and security,” he said.
The Group also expressed concern over what it described as the continued modernisation and expansion of nuclear arsenals, calling for an immediate halt to such activities and a reduction in the role of nuclear weapons in military doctrines.
“The continued existence and possession of nuclear weapons under the outdated and fallible concepts of deterrence and strategic stability do not guarantee security,” Ambassador Ibrahim said.
He further condemned nuclear-sharing arrangements and extended deterrence policies, describing them as inconsistent with the spirit of the NPT.
On security assurances, the African Group called for legally binding guarantees for non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of nuclear weapons.
The statement also underscored growing alarm over renewed nuclear testing rhetoric and technological developments linked to nuclear systems, including artificial intelligence, warning that such trends increase global instability.
The Group reiterated support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), describing it as complementary to the NPT, and urged states yet to join to sign and ratify it.
While pushing for disarmament, the African Group reaffirmed the inalienable right of all states to pursue peaceful nuclear energy under strict safeguards, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) playing a central role in verification and cooperation.
In conclusion, Ambassador Ibrahim urged states parties to seize the moment and avoid further diplomatic deadlock.
“The international community cannot afford another missed opportunity. The time for meaningful and durable progress is now,” he said.
The African Group reaffirmed its commitment to a balanced implementation of all three pillars of the NPT—disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy—calling for renewed multilateral cooperation to achieve a nuclear-free world.
