Topic:
Country: United States of America
Delegate Name: Pranav Mudhas
Disarmament and International Security Committee
Nuclear Disarmament and Emerging Nuclear States
The United States of America
Pranav Mudhas
Forest Hills Eastern
In the aftermath of World War 2, humanity gained its ultimate weapon and threat: nuclear weapons. They were responsible for over 200,000 fatalities in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not counting the numerous geographical and ecological travesties resulting from the bombing. Consequently, more than 10,000 ballistic missiles were built during the Cold War in response to budding tensions between the USSR and the US. Approximately 13,080 nuclear warheads exist today, and many lie in the hands of countries without a proper fail-safe to prevent their use. Some treaties have been in place to restrict the use of these nuclear warheads, such as The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which highlights that any attempt to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons is not allowed. However, these treaties are not enough to control the emerging nuclear states that have made advancements to procure a nuclear arsenal.
The United States prides itself on being a leader in arms control and is committed to making the world a better and safer place. We show unwavering support for nuclear nonproliferation under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). NPThas halted the spread of nuclear weapons, sped up their disarmament, and allowed peaceful nuclear energy to bless the global outreach toward a sustainable energy source. Since the ratification of the NPT, the US has seen an 88% decrease in its nuclear weapons stock. With the NPT, the US wishes to avoid any nuclear conflict but supports the idea of keeping its nuclear weapons to deter any threat or attack of the war. The US, for now, has not signed or ratified The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). It finds that a treaty seeking to ban nuclear weapons without the support of countries that have nuclear weapons is not very likely to produce any results. The US also mentions that it does not accept that the TPNW contributes to customary international law. It also finds that the TPNW does not do enough to deal with rising nuclear states that do not have checks to control their nuclear weapons proliferation.
The United States of America stands firm that no nuclear conflict can ever end in a victory, so it should never be fought in the first place. We affirm that nuclear weapons should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war. We believe strongly that the further spreading of such weapons must be stopped, especially in countries without moral inhibitions. We wish for a treaty that holds firm to NPT’s obligations, including our Article VI obligation “to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.” We also intend to strengthen our national security and measures to prevent any unauthorized or unintended use of nuclear weapons. We aim to work with all states to create a secure environment to continue with the disarmament of nuclear weapons with the goal of a world without nuclear weapons that have security for all. We seek bilateral and multilateral diplomatic approaches to avoid military confrontations, strengthen stability and predictability, increase mutual understanding and confidence, and prevent an arms race. We wish to create a treaty that pursues mutual respect and acknowledgment of each other’s security interests and concerns.
