The P5, the CTBT, and the Norm Against Nuclear Explosive Testing
Daryl G. Kimball argues that the P5 need to act now to protect the global moratorium on nuclear explosive testing.
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The test ban was central to the bargain that extended the NPT indefinitely, and it limits states’ ability to develop new warheads. North Korea is the only country to have tested this century. That record is now under strain:
- Russia, China and the United States have expanded activity at their former test sites.
- Accusations of very low-yield testing remain unresolved.
- The US was the only country to vote against last year’s UN resolution backing the treaty.
Kimball calls for a joint P5 statement supporting the moratorium and the treaty’s entry into force. He also wants technical talks on verification measures, such as neutron monitoring, to show that experiments at former test sites stay at zero yield.
This paper forms part of a guest series by academics and experts on nuclear non-proliferation, arms control and risk reduction, written for the British Foreign Policy Group. The papers are published to encourage debate and understanding and do not represent the views of BFPG. You can read them all here.