NPT Conference Opens: Stop Nuclear Nonproliferation Structure from Collapsing

Editorial

15:00 JST, April 29, 2026

Major powers are threatening to use nuclear weapons and even targeting nuclear power plants and nuclear-related facilities, thereby endangering global security.

The international framework and norms regarding nuclear weapons are on the brink of collapse. Now more than ever, all nations must work to rebuild the nonproliferation structure with a sense of urgency.

A review conference to examine the implementation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) has begun at the U.N. headquarters in New York. Held every five years in principle, this conference brings together 191 signatory states and regions to discuss nuclear disarmament and related issues.

At the opening of the conference, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed a strong sense of crisis, saying, “Hard-won norms are eroding.”

Confrontations among nations have also come to the surface. When Iran was elected as one of the vice presidents, the United States criticized the move as “beyond shameful.” Iran, in turn, condemned the U.S. and Israeli military attacks on its nuclear facilities as a violation of international law.

The key focus during the conference, which runs through May 22, is whether a final document outlining a path toward nuclear disarmament can be formulated.

The two previous conferences, held in 2015 and 2022, collapsed without achieving unanimous adoption of final documents. If the latest conference ends in a third consecutive failure, momentum for nuclear disarmament could be completely lost.

The situation surrounding nuclear weapons is rapidly deteriorating. Russia launched aggression against Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons. Russia has also attacked nuclear power plants.

Meanwhile, the United States, together with Israel, attacked Iran under the pretext of stopping Iran’s nuclear development. While Iran is a signatory to the NPT, Israel is not a party to the treaty and is considered a de facto nuclear-armed state.

If the overbearing attitudes of nuclear-armed states are left unchecked, non-nuclear states may come to distrust the treaty and turn to the belief that adhering to the treaty does not lead to security. This could fuel the notion that nuclear weapons are necessary to defend their own countries.

The United States and Russia must immediately cease the use of force.

The New START Treaty, which limited the number of deployed nuclear warheads between the United States and Russia, has expired. China did not join this treaty and is rapidly increasing its stockpile of nuclear warheads. Britain and France have also shifted toward strengthening their nuclear arsenals.

The NPT recognizes that five countries — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — have the privilege of possessing nuclear weapons, while obligating them to engage in nuclear disarmament negotiations. These five countries must sincerely commit to disarmament.

Japan should widely raise the alarm over the current dangerous situation in which North Korea has declared its withdrawal from the NPT and is undermining regional stability by expanding its nuclear and missile capabilities.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 29, 2026)