If the world were to open and the raw power of nuclear proliferation were released instead of wickedness, how would things change? The intricacies and ramifications of humanity’s dance with nuclear proliferation are examined in this piece as we delve into the complicated web of geopolitics, ethics, and existential threats.” The proliferation of nuclear weapons is spreading quickly as time goes on. We can observe on the global canvas how international politics are driving the necessity for the spread of nuclear weapons, technology, and material-related nuclear weapons throughout all nations. Countries are engaged in an arms race, but other non-state entities such as terrorist organizations, insurgent groups, criminal organizations, etc. are also involved. The use and transfer of nuclear technology will pose destructive effects on the world for future generations and disturb the planet’s peace. The nuclear arms race first started in 1938–1963 and was initiated by the US secret project Manhattans, according to which attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki occurred in 1945, which were the industrial hubs of Japan. In this race, the development of thermonuclear (hydrogen bombs) was also being initiated. To stop this arms race in 1946, the Baruch Plan was introduced by the US, which was then rejected by the Soviet Union to secure its position in international politics. Later in 1953, Eisenhower sent a purposeful atom of peace treaty to the United Nations General Assembly to foster peace in the race of armies, which was rejected at the time. In 1957, it was signed by the Soviet Union and the US, but other P5 countries, France, China, and Britain, didn’t sign because at that time they hadn’t declared their nuclear weapons. In this anarchic system, there is no friend or foe; each state is gaining its capabilities to deter its adversaries by producing mass destruction. This is compliance to ignore the focus on human incentives and political power gain, which is being prioritized.
The P5 countries China, Russia, the USA, France, and Britain have installed many efforts to resist the proliferation of nuclear weapons, which involve various efforts through different treaties and agreements. Some of them are being signed by these UN permanent members, but still, some countries are not signatories to these treaties. The major treaties and agreements that have been surpassed by them are the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), whose purpose is to promote global security by signing it. It acts as a bedrock agreement among all, but still some countries, like India, Pakistan, and Israel, didn’t sign it due to security reasons and threats from their rival states, and countries like North Korea violated their obligations. So, aside from facing challenges, it still acts as a source to promote peace in the global era. The International Atomic Energy Agency( IAEA) is an institution that monitors and inspects nuclear facilities to keep a check on countries having nuclear weapon technology, whether they are transferring it secretly to other countries or any non-state actor group. Strict economic sanctions imposed by the UN that violate and are secretly suspected of trying to acquire nuclear capability involve Iran and Syria, which are still facing economic trade sanctions on the allegation of producing nuclear arms, which in turn are widely affecting countries’ economic businesses. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (1996) was to ban nuclear explosions on both military and civilians. They established a robust international monitoring system (IMS) comprising seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound, and radionuclide monitoring stations. About 185 countries have signed this treaty, and 17 countries have ratified it. Another effort to stop nuclear proliferation is the declaration of a nuclear-free zone that involves an area within state boundaries that will be approved by the United Nations General Assembly that no nuclear testing or exercise will take place in that area, which creates a situation of trust and confidence building among neighboring states. It involves a Wassenaar arrangement that aims to disarm the nuclear countries to enhance global security.
In a nutshell, global security has been compromised by the arms race of developing mass destruction and the urge to gain nuclear capabilities, which, in one sense, would help those countries deter rival nations and serve as political gain and power acknowledgment, but on the other hand, it would be a paramount concern for the wellbeing of the planet. The effects of nuclear weapons were being transferred to generations, as after the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks, adverse effects were being seen by the world, and after that, they found a need to pose resistance to the production of nuclear weapons. The UN passed several resolutions for disarmament and not the use of nuclear weapons, but still obstacles are there, which are causing the states to curiously join the list of nuclear-declared states.
The writer is a student of International Relations at International Islamic University Islamabad and a member of PYDIR.