Topic: 2025 – No First Use Policies and Nuclear Disarmament
Country: Bahrain
Delegate Name: Neel Grover
Nuclear weapons exist as an existential threat for all of humanity, and the possibility of use remains a clear and present danger that must be resolved. While treaties such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons have made strides, the lack of participation from nuclear-capable states, among other issues, have left much to be desired. The P5 have failed to uphold Article VI of the NPT, and for over 5 decades they have maintained and, in some cases, modernized their arsenals. This makes the NPT a tool used by a few states to hold nuclear weapons while restricting others. Since the late 1960s, a nuclear asymmetry has existed in the Middle East. While many states have renounced the development of nuclear weapons, a few states have never joined the NPT, continuing to perpetrate the double standard perpetuated by the international community. Bahrain emphasizes that the only guarantee against the use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination, and until then, non-nuclear weapon states require binding security assurances.
In the Middle East, regional security is impossible while one state remains outside the NPT and another state engages in ambiguous nuclear activities. A proposal to sustain safety for states in the Middle East is the Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. This would ensure universal adherence to the NPT, alleviating concerns on the imbalance of nuclear power, which will especially support small states. Bahrain reiterates that regional stability remains fragile so long as the Middle East lacks a comprehensive prohibition on weapons of mass destruction, and calls upon all states in the region to accede to the NPT as non-nuclear members.
The kingdom of Bahrain maintains its belief that full compliance with the NPT’s legal obligations is non-negotiable. While Bahrain is one of the chief supporters of the right of all states to peaceful nuclear technology, this right must also come with full transparency and verification. Bahrain calls upon all states to adhere strictly to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Nuclear activities without full clarity weaken regional security and jeopardize international relations.
Bahrain acknowledges the humanitarian motivation behind the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and welcomes it as a powerful show of the global stance against the danger of nuclear weapons. However, the NPT remains the cornerstone of global non-proliferation and disarmament. Efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons must not undercut the NPT, but instead add to it by establishing more strict/enforceable commitments and measurable progress toward the complete and verifiable destruction of all nuclear arsenals.
The Kingdom of Bahrain views the persistent failure to fulfill Article VI of the NPT and the modernization of nuclear arsenals as a threat to global security. The immediate priority must be to enforce the rule of law of non-proliferation by securing universal adherence to the NPT and taking solid steps to establish the Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. Bahrain urges that nuclear-weapon states move beyond rhetoric and provide binding Negative Security Assurances to ensure a future free of nuclear danger.
