Topic: Recommendations for the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Allie Pail
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Germany position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
Since the well-known Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, the allowance of countries to possess and possibly use nuclear power has been put to question. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been signed and ratified by over 150 countries, and stands strong in its promise to overall prevent the spread and violent use of nuclear power. Now that a review of the treaty is taking place, many nations want to take the opportunity to change the treaty into a faster plan of action. Germany strongly believes in the idea of a world free of nuclear weapons, as suggested by President Obama of the United States. The NPT has three main principles: the responsibility of non-proliferation, the idea of total disarmament, and the right of all countries to use nuclear energy peacefully. With the present ability to change the NPT, Germany believes that the treaty has many acceptable key points, and pushes for the complete disarmament of member states. Before the Middle East can be disarmed of nuclear weapons, the member states of the NPT have to set a world-wide example.
The topic of nuclear non-proliferation is of great importance to Germany because of economic and political ties world-wide, and because of the safety guaranteed to innocent people. Possible nuclear warfare could start many skirmishes between countries, and even a third world war. The mass physical destruction and harm wreaked by nuclear warfare invades the right of every human being to lead a safe life. Exposure to nuclear radiation could cause health issues for many years after the original contact, as seen in the people of Hiroshima. Also, nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists or non-state organizations can cause a great number of international problems. These weapons need to be destroyed before they have the chance to be seized by undesirable groups. Ridding the member states of their nuclear weapons could pave the way for possible nuclear weapon eradication in the Middle East. Finally, steps need to be taken to encourage non-member states to become members of the NPT. This plan to rid the world of nuclear weapons has to be built on a solid foundation of agreement between nations world-wide; otherwise it cannot be obtained for future generations.
In order to set these goals of the NPT into action, Germany sees the need to transcribe an agreement between all member states of the NPT to dispose of their nuclear weapons in environmentally safe ways, such as Yucca Mountain in the United States. A timeline would have to be put into this agreement, and disposal of these weapons should take no more than ten to fifteen years. After member states dispose of their own nuclear weapons, non-member states should be encouraged to join the NPT with incentives, such as economic alliances between member states, and allowance of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Once these non-member states become a part of the NPT, they will be able to receive these incentives. As to the Middle East, use of the UN Peacekeepers is needed to stabilize “trouble” countries to a point where their government is in a position to compromise. Many of the problems in the Middle East grow from rebel organizations, and in order for nuclear weapons to be disposed of, a degree of peace in these areas is needed. In order to successfully accomplish these goals, Germany expects to find allies in the United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom, and China.
