History of nwfz initiatives the early years the initial catalyst for the development of the nwfz concept and strategy occurred during the early years of the cold war, in 1957just 12 years after the first nuclear weapons were. Since then, many other resolutions have been introduced to reach the same accord. Origins of a nuclear free zone middle east establishing a nuclear weapon free zone nwfz see key terms in the middle east is not a recent idea. There is a surprising degree of consensus on the establishment of an nwfz in the region. Is it possible to create a nuclear weapons free zone in. Middle east nuclear weapons free zone menwfz study subject. However, the notable absence of favorable conditions presents significant challenges in reaching this goal. In addition, it is doubtful that the much praised 2 treaty of tlatelolco, which established a nuclear weapons free zone nwfz in latin america, could serve as an acceptable precedent for the middle east. Nuclear weapons free zonedefinition a nwfz is a regional arrangement that prohibits the development, manufacture, stockpiling, acquisition, possession, control, along with assistance in research on the development, manufacture, stockpiling or acquisition, or possession of any nuclear explosive device within the zone of application by any contracting party. A nuclear weapon free zone nwfz in the middle east was first proposed in the united nations general assembly in 1974 by iran and egypt in an effort to roll back israels acquisition of nuclear weapons and to restrain further proliferation in the region by having all states join both a nwfz and the nuclear nonproliferation treaty npt. Make the middle east a nuclearfree zone cjpme english. The establishment of nuclearweapon free zones, as a key step toward a nuclearweapon free world, is of great significance in achieving goals of nuclear disarmament and. Although israel is the only middle eastern country presumed to have an operational nuclear arsenal, syria.
Steps towards the establishment of such a zone began in the 1960s led to a joint declaration by egypt and iran in 1974 which resulted in a general assembly resolution broadened in 1990 through the mubarak initiative to cover all weapons of mass destruction. A nuclearweapon free zone nwfz is defined by the united nations as an agreement which a group of states has freely established by treaty or convention that bans the use, development, or deployment of nuclear weapons in a given area, that has mechanisms of verification and control to enforce its obligations, and that is recognized as such by the general assembly of the united nations. Preconditions for a nwfz in the middle east james martin. The forum, reflecting the consensus of the agencys member states on the importance of establishing a nwfz in the region of middle east, is designed to consider the experience of africa, asia, europe, and latin america and the caribbean in creating regional security regimes and achieving disarmament through establishing nwfzs. Conference on the establishment of a middle east zone free. The regions currently covered under nwfz agreements include. A nuclear weapon free zone nwfz in the middle east was first proposed in the. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The arab league did not present a unified statement on the issue, marking a growing divide among members on the subject. Middle east nuclear weapons free zone menwfz study keywords. Five such zones exist today, with four of them spanning the entire southern hemisphere. A middle east wmdfree zone treaty would likely follow the example of current nwfz. Nuclear weapons free zone for the middle east youtube.
The middle east nuclearweaponfree zone menwfz is a longstanding, united nationsdriven proposal to prohibit nuclear weapons in the middle east. The forum on the experience of possible relevance to the creation of a nuclearweapons free zone in the middle east was held in response to a request by member states at the iaeas general conference in 2000 that the director general convene a forum where participants from the middle east and other interested parties could learn from the. In an annex, the delicate problem of how to encourage the peaceful atom and at the same time ban the military one is discussed in greater detail. Towards a verified middle east weapons of mass destruction free zone. Middle east, while attracting the involvement of major powers, is regional. Getting to a middle east nuclear weapon free zone duration. International efforts largely focus on the creation of a middle eastern nuclear weapons free zone nwfz, although heightened media attention is often paid to iran, israel, and iraq. Pdf a nuclear weapons free zone in the middle east. Establishment of a nuclearweaponfree zone in the middle east. The pursuit of a wmdfree zone in the middle east chatham house. First proposed in 1974 by egypt and iran, the concept has been. The special status of the region was recognized by a resolution on the middle east adopted in 1995 by. Political efforts to change this situation have focussed on the possibility to establish a nuclearweapon free.
A top down approach to a nuclear weapons free zone in the. Steps toward a middle east zone free of nuclear international. Establishment of a nuclearweaponfree zone in the middle. The possible ambitions of the countries in the area to acquire nuclear weapons have their roots in this regional context. A nuclear weapon free zone in the middle east download. The middle east has been considering this concept since the early 1960s and as yet has been unable to achieve this status. Consider the lessons and context of other regions prior to the establishment of a nwfzs. The middle east nuclear weapon free zone menwfz is a proposed agreement similar to other nuclearweapon free zones. Disec preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons in the. History of nwfz initiatives the early years the initial catalyst for the development of the nwfz concept and strategy occurred during the early years of the cold war, in 1957just 12 years after the first nuclear weapons were dropped on hiroshima and nagasaki. The middle east conference on the establishment of zone.
An edited version of this paper was published as a nuclearweapon free zone in the middle east and effective verification, in disarmament. Indeed, in recent years, ankara has been advocating the implementation of a regional nuclearweapon free zone, which officials see as part of an overall strategy to decrease tensions in the region. Significantly, that resolution took a thoughtful step beyond the exclusively nuclearfocused tradition of nwfz discourse, and called instead not just for a middle eastern zone free of nuclear weapons, but in fact an effectively verifiable middle east zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical, and biological, and their. The idea of a middle east nwfz, and later, a middle east wmdfz, has existed for thirtyfive years. Over 100 states have ratified the nwfz treaty for their region. Middle east zone free of nuclear weapons and other. Forum on experience of possible relevance to the creation. Forum on nuclearweaponsfreezone in the middle east. It should be recalled that the decision to hold a conference on the creation of a.
Forum on experience of possible relevance to creation of a. Click download or read online button to get a nuclear weapon free zone in the middle east book now. And as another effort to negotiate a legallybinding treaty concluded last week, there were lingering questions crying out for answers. The notion of a middle east nuclear weapon free zone, or a weap. Proposals to establish a nuclear weapons free zone nwfz in the middle east have been under consideration for more than 3 decades. A wmdfree zone in the middle east the belfer center for science. The arab spring launched an era of sweeping political changes in the countries of the middle east and north africa. Nuclearweapon free zones and nuclear issues in the middle east working paper submitted by china 1. Forum attendees presented several constructive proposals that should be taken into consideration, including suggestions to.
In 1995, along with the decision to extend the treaty indefinitely, npt states parties adopted a resolution, cosponsored by russia, the united kingdom and the united states, calling for the establishment of a wmd free zone in the middle east. Many argue that a nwfz in the middle east should include turkey. Two of the provisions of that treaty, for instance, allow parties to carry out explosions of nuclear devices for peaceful purposes, including explosions which involve devices similar to. Forum on experience of possible relevance to creation of a nuclearweapon free zone nwfz in middle east, 2122 november 2011 statement by central asia nuclear weapon free zone treaty created date. Wmdfree middle east proposal at a glance arms control. A nuclearweapon free zone nwfz is a specified region in which countries commit themselves not to manufacture, acquire, test, or possess nuclear weapons. Egypt had only recently given up its own quest for nuclear weapons, pursued inchoately in the 1960s by president gamal nasser. Steps toward a middleeast nuclearweapon free zone, inmm, 2014 monitoring and verification tools 21 transparency and onsite inspections are indispensable elements but many of the early steps toward a menwfz could be verified initially with fair confidence without direct access to some sites. A topdown approach to a nuclear weapons free zone in the. However, the current strategic environment in the middle east. First put forth by egypt in 1990, the weapons of mass destruction free zone wmdfz proposal expanded on longstanding calls to establish a nuclear weapons free zone nwfz in the middle east. A zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the middle east. The israeli case the united nations and the establishment of a nwfz in the middle east.
The resolution is passed without a vote in the general assembly. Ciardp87r00029r0002003400380 department of state october 5, 1981 confidential memorandum to. For others, the threat to regional peace and stability. In contrast, the concept of a nuclearweapon free zone with negative security assurances entails the pledge not to use nuclear weapons against any member of the zone. Political declaration of the conference on the establishment of a middle east zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction new york, 22 november 2019.
It was spearheaded by iran in 1974, followed by egyptian endorsement. The question of a middle east nwfz has remained a contentious issue through the 2000s. Both measures, intended to be pursued in parallel, have garnered broad international support but practical progress has since been elusive. The obstacles to a middle east nuclearweaponfree zone. Current status and prospects 5 july 2019 31 march 2019 on 19 march 2019, the vcdnp, in cooperation with the permanent mission of japan, hosted a panel discussion on the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction wmdfz in the middle east. Shalheveth freier, a nuclearweapon free zone nwfz in the middle east and its ambiance, unpublished manuscript 1992. How russia and united states should work together dr. Wmdfz in the middle east should include turkey all the more so because of turkish dedication to the idea of wmdfz in the middle east.
Towards a verified nuclear weapon free zone in the middle east. Establishment of a nuclearweapon free zone in the middle east 5 support for revolutionary groups on israels northern and southern borders in syria, and elsewhere in the middle east and africa. The notion of a middle east nuclear weapon free zone has been on international as well as regional agendas for more than 40 years. Middle east nuclear weapon free zone delivered by holly. A nuclear weapons free zone in the middle easta pipe. Creating a nuclear weapon free zone in the middle east is actually not a new idea. In principle, all states in the region have expressed support for a. The creation of a weapons of mass destruction free zone wmdfz in the middle east remains an oftdiscussed idea when considering steps toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Ironically, it was first proposed in the united nations general assembly in.
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