Topic: 2025 – No First Use Policies and Nuclear Disarmament
Country: Iraq
Delegate Name: Sarath Badithala
Disarmament and International Security Committee
No First Use Policies and Nuclear Disarmament
The Republic of Iraq
Sarath Badithala
Forest Hills Eastern High School
The threat posed by nuclear weapons has been an issue that has been threatening global security since their very creation, specifically shown in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Throughout history, many agreements and treaties have been made governing the use of nuclear weapons; however, there are thousands of nuclear weapons still at hand in the arsenals of a handful of countries. The phrase “No First Use” refers to the pledge made by some nations on their use nuclear weapons first. The phrase means that the nations will not use nuclear weapons aggressively and will only use them in retaliation against another state. This pledge has significantly decreased tensions and helped reduce accidental escalation between countries. To combat problems that arise from nuclear weapons, the United Nations has acted in many different ways. Some ways that the United Nations has acted include passing treaties such as the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). However, many countries with nuclear arsenals have refused to adopt the No First Use policy, putting the world in danger of nuclear war.
Iraq strongly supports nuclear disarmament and advocates for a world free of nuclear weapons. Throughout Iraq’s history, the country has constantly endured instability and conflict, which has led to the country’s views on nuclear weapons. Iraq understands the massive, catastrophic consequences that nuclear weapons can have on countries, which is why the country has signed the NPT treaty that was issued by the United Nations. Iraq stays strong on its commitment to make the Middle East free of Nuclear weapons. The Iraqi government works with regional partners to advocate that nuclear weapons harm society. Iraq wants it to be made known to the entire world that, while nuclear weapons may produce a facade that leads nations to believe that they improve security. Nuclear weapons actually undermine security since nations start losing trust in each other. The Iraqi government tries to convey this message to other nations constantly through regional advocacy programs. Iraq believes that countries that currently have nuclear arsenals are responsible for slowly disassembling their nuclear weapons and heading towards a nuclear-weapon-free future. By supporting countries that are against nuclear weapons and initiatives presented by the United Nations, Iraq has demonstrated its commitment to advocating against nuclear weapons.
Iraq urges the world to go to a nuclear-free zone by implementing decisive solutions. Iraq proposes the creation of a working group that advocates against nuclear weapons in regional areas, starting in the Middle East, so that momentum can build up to eventually convince big players such as Russia and the United States. Another possible solution includes the creation of a verification committee that verifies the compliance of treaties made by nations. By combining diplomatic pressure on countries with nuclear arsenals and international checks and verifications, Iraq believes that the world can head towards a nuclear-free future.
