NATO describes itself as a nuclear alliance, but at the same time all of its members have committed to good faith efforts to negotiate nuclear disarmament. The alliance has agreed to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons, and therefore must prepare for one day being a nuclear weapons free alliance.
Despite growing public pressure and parliamentary calls to support and participate in a nuclear weapons ban treaty process in NATO countries, nearly all NATO member states voted against L.41, the UN resolution to start negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. Only the Netherlands, with a clear call to support a ban treaty from its parliament, abstained.
Recent information has circulated about the real reasons some nuclear armed NATO members are worried about a nuclear ban treaty. Public statements refer to concerns about the NPT, however sources have unearthed that the real concerns are that nuclear weapons are becoming increasingly illegitimate.
Read ‘NATO and a nuclear ban‘ to find out if the nuclear ban treaty is compatible with legal obligations.
