The United Nations General Assembly,
Recalling the first resolution adopted by the Security Council, as well as Resolution 68/32 of
December 2013 and other resolutions which continue to promote nuclear disarmament,
Reaffirming the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (“Non-Proliferation Treaty” or
“NPT”), which aims to limit the use of nuclear technology to peaceful purposes, and prevent any
further build-up of nuclear weapons,
Further reaffirming the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and other initiatives such
as the Missile Technology Control Regime, which together form the body of the international
regulatory regime surrounding the distribution and use of nuclear weapons,
Deeply disturbed by the incredible destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons, of which 22,000 still
remain in service worldwide, that can indiscriminately extinguish millions of lives in an instant,
Concerned by the poor progress towards a comprehensive nuclear disarmament framework,
which has been called for by the General Assembly each consecutive year since 1996,
1. Calls upon all Member States to immediately relinquish control over any and all weapons
grade nuclear material and peripherals to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
for immediate disassembly and disarmament;
2. Requests the gathering of additional funds to the IAEA to facilitate the capacity outlined in
the resolution;
3. Encourages investment into civil use of nuclear materials as a viable alternative to current
fossil fuel based power generation sources with the support of the IAEA;
4. Suggests Member States seek the engagement and oversight of the IAEA to:
a. limit risks posed by mismanagement of nuclear materials.
b. modernise existing nuclear infrastructure.
c. limit the risks of state or non-state actors gaining access to weapons grade nuclear
material;
5. Suggests that unreported stockpiles of nuclear arms are being kept with malicious intent
and immediate actions should be taken, and:
a. any country charged with unreported stockpiles of nuclear arms should allow an
immediate investigation into the matter by the IAEA.
b. any state that denies the investigation by the IAEA or is found to have unreported
stockpiles should be referred to the Security Council for an immediate response.
c. any individual actor found to be involved with unreported stockpiles of nuclear
arms should be referred to the ICC to investigate if their actions endangered
international peace and stability.
The Question of Nuclear Disarmament
UN Youth New Zealand
Nuclear disarmament is the act of both reducing or eliminating the use of nuclear weapons in the
aims of creating a nuclear weapons-free world. Supporters of nuclear disarmament view this as a
way to lessen the probability of a nuclear war occurring, accidentally or intentionally, whilst those
opposed to this feel that it undermines deterrence and their sovereignty. States that are
completely nuclear-free zones are New Zealand, Austria, Estonia, and Italy, whilst the states of
Japan, Finland, and Sweden are nuclear weapons-free but still utilise nuclear energy. The potential
threat nuclear weapons have to modern civilisation are too great to be ignored. The call for a
nuclear weapons-free world highlights the global desire for change.
The following states form the nuclear-weapon states (NWS) that are officially recognized as
possessing nuclear weapons by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT):
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China: Around 260 warheads.
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France: Around 300 warheads.
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Russia: Around 7,000 warheads.
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United Kingdom: Around 215 warheads.
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United States of America: Around 6,800 warheads.
Aside from these states, several others have nuclear warheads, weapons-grade fissile material, or
the technology and industry to produce them.1
Despite persistent attempts to promote and enforce nuclear disarmament, doing so has been a
slow, and often halted procedure. Solutions pursued have always been incomplete in scope or in
realisation, such as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) in 1963, or the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT) in 1996. 19 member states are yet to ratify the CTBT, despite having signed, and that
a further 13 are non-signatories.2
However, despite a lack of complete compliance, the attempted shift has not been entirely fruitless
– the last atmospheric test was carried out by China in 1980, and since the Conference on
Disarmament in 1996, there have only been a handful of tests, primarily undertaken by India,
Pakistan, and North Korea.
Due to the significantly impactful yield and expansive monitoring systems of nuclear testing, most
tests performed by states are immediately recognisable, regardless of the environment they are
performed in; above ground, underwater, or underground, even if states have no interest in
disclosing those details.
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2017), Nuclear Arsenals, http://www.icanw.org/thefacts/nuclear-arsenals/
2 Nuclear Threat Initiative (2015), Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty & Partial Test Ban Treaty Membership,
http://www.nti.org/media/pdfs/apmctbt_10.pdf
The Question of Nuclear Disarmament
UN Youth New Zealand
1
Despite the decline in the number and nature of nuclear tests occurring, several states have
continued to develop and expand their nuclear capabilities India, Iran, Israel, North Korea,
Pakistan, and Syria have worryingly continued to pursue avenues of nuclear production. These
states have never joined the NPT, and in some cases have previously claimed that their
programmes were for peaceful purposes.
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India: Around 110-120 warheads.

Israel: Around 80 warheads.
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North Korea: Under 10 warheads.
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Pakistan: Around 120-130 nuclear warheads.3
So long as nuclear weapons continue to exist, the procedures surrounding their handling and
management must be of high quality to prevent dangers. Over the past few years, there have been
several high profile incidents that have revealed a severe lack of proper security measures in one
of the most highly armed states – the USA. One incident involved a failed Air Force drill where a
simulation hostile takeover of a missile launcher was not controlled in a timely manner, failing the
test.4 The security in this instance has shown to not be sufficient enough to fully ensure nuclear
weapons safety, in keeping them away from non-state actors.
The black market trade of nuclear materials continues to threaten and violate international law,
as well as the integrity of states in which this illicit trade happens. A greater concern is needed
over easily accessible nuclear materials such as uranium. A notable event was the arrest of a
Pakistan man in 2004, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who was found guilty of being a major nuclear arms
merchant. It was discovered that Khan ran a highly secret underground network for almost two
decades in which he supplied nuclear technology, expertise, and designs to Iran, North Korea, and
Libya (and likely more). This raises the questions of how many other unlawful networks exist
globally and how widespread the black market trade is.
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Is your country for or against creating a nuclear weapons-free world?
Has your country signed and/or ratified the CTBT?
Does your country possess nuclear armaments, or hold a stake in the proliferation and
trade of them?
What advantages does your country gain from holding/not holding nuclear armaments?
Has your country being involved in the black market trade of nuclear materials? Importing
or exporting?
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2017), Nuclear Arsenals, http://www.icanw.org/thefacts/nuclear-arsenals/
4 Time (2014), Air Force Flunked Stolen Nuclear Weapon Test, http://time.com/108808/air-force-nuclearweapon/
The Question of Nuclear Disarmament
UN Youth New Zealand
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How is your country placed geographically and politically in respect to nuclear nations?
What effects does this have on policy and/or national security and safety?
Black Market trade - Syria
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http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/evidence-points-to-syria-still-working-on-anuclear-weapon-a-1012209.html
Iran and Nuclear Weapons
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http://www.theage.com.au/comment/rejecting-a-nuclear-deal-with-iran-now-wouldleave-it-unconstrained-20150304-13ui58.html
Information on who has what in relation to Nuclear Weapons
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http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Nuclearweaponswhohaswhat
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
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http://www.ctbto.org/
Copyright © UN Youth New Zealand
The Question of Nuclear Disarmament
UN Youth New Zealand