Breakthrough or Breakpoint? Global Perspectives on the Nuclear Ban Treaty

Summary:

In December 2017, the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for their work on the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).To examine the implications of this treaty for the global nuclear order, the ELN has commissioned a collection of essays, bringing together contributions from a distinguished group of nuclear policy and arms control experts.

They present current national and institutional attitudes towards the nuclear ban treaty and assess whether these are likely to change over time. By offering analyses on the different perspectives, our aim is to encourage a better understanding of the underlying motives and objectives of the treaty, the humanitarian impacts movement and the rationale of those who are cautious or hostile to the treaty. By exposing the most contentious aspects of the debate this approach offers a means of identifying opportunities and initiatives to reconcile the different approaches to nuclear disarmament and unite the international community around a practical, future-oriented programme of action that could lead to the reduction and ultimately the elimination of nuclear arsenals.

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