Topic: 2025 – No First Use Policies and Nuclear Disarmament
Country: Peru
Delegate Name: Minhao Chen
Disarmament and International Security Committee
No First Use Policies and Nuclear Disarmament
Republic of Peru
Minhao Chen
Forest Hills Northern
From the inception of nuclear weapons, the threat of nuclear armageddon has been a notable issue globally. The indiscriminate nature of nuclear weapons is what makes them an insidious threat to global security and the safety of all nations. As such, many measures have been taken in order to prevent such an event from occurring, such as “No First Use” policies, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which aim to prevent initiation of nuclear warfare, prevent transfer of nuclear weapons, and prohibit nuclear weapons altogether, respectively. However, despite these measures being taken into place, the threat of nuclear warfare still remains. The challenge of adopting “No First Use” is that it requires a significant amount of trust in other nations which currently isn’t present, since the declaration of “No First Use” would allow for other nations to strike first. The benefit of the “No First Use” policy is that it helps reduce the risk of improper nuclear use and also builds international trust. It doesn’t, however, order the dismantling of nuclear weapons like the TPNW. “No First Use” is useful, but it carries along disincentives which prevent many nations from signing: nuclear-carrying states worry that it removes a layer of protection and may incentivize other countries previously not willing to attack. This tension is the reason why “No First Use” policies are rare. On the other hand, the TPNW orders the disposal of the entire nuclear arsenal of a nation, which is difficult for nuclear-carrying states to sign and accept. The United States’ and Russia’s START agreements, China’s and India’s declaration of “No First Use,” and many nations’ cooperation in disposing of their nuclear arsenal are a great start in lowering the threat of global nuclear disaster, but no nuclear-carrying state has signed the TPNW, thus still allowing for possible disaster. This, along with a recent weakening of treaties, has led to a resurgence in nuclear weapons development in recent years. As such, a solution which can effectively address this issue is necessary.
As a nation in Latin America, the first area to become a non-nuclear zone, Peru believes in regional stability and reliance on diplomacy and understands the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. The nuclear-free zone in Latin America has reinforced cooperation between nations in the region, and Peru believes that other regions can view the Latin American nuclear-free zone as an example of how nuclear-free zones can have positive impacts on a whole region. Peru has also signed the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, followed by a unanimous congress decision to ratify the treaty, which aligns with Peru’s historical voting trends at the UN of voting for nuclear disarmament programs and nuclear-ban initiatives. In a press statement, the foreign ministry of Peru stated that Peru’s ratification of the TPNW shows “high commitment to its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law” and how it “is in line with Peru’s commitment to promoting international peace and security to facilitate the development and growth of our peoples.” Since Peru does not face hostile neighboring nations, supporting disarmament is consistent with its efforts to prioritize humanitarian law. Overall, Peru values nuclear disarmament as a necessary step to achieve peace, a development towards stability, and a humanitarian obligation.
Ultimately, Peru aims to eliminate nuclear weaponry internationally. “No First Use” policies can act as a device to build trust between nuclear-carrying states and other nations so that tensions ease. At the same time, gradual changes to the policies of nuclear-carrying states should be made to assist in achieving this goal, including but not limited to the cessation of modernization programs, transparency on stockpile size, and caps on deployed warheads. Trust is indispensable before disarmament is possible, as only when all nations trust each other to remain peaceful can they begin curtailing nuclear weapons. After trust has been established, focus can shift towards disarmament. To incentivize disarmament, Peru encourages the United Nations to facilitate technical assistance for the dismantling of nuclear weapons to address the resource demand of dismantlement. Peru also advocates for the aforementioned nations to join the TPNW so that the disposal of nuclear weapons happens in a timely manner. By pursuing these goals, nations can work in a concerted manner to steadily reduce the global threat of nuclear weapons.
Sources:
www.icanw.org
