HANOI, May 23: A four-week United Nations conference reviewing the landmark treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons concluded without agreement, marking the third consecutive failure to reach consensus on strengthening the global non-proliferation framework.
Vietnam's UN Ambassador Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced that the 191 parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) were unable to agree even on a diluted final outcome document after weeks of negotiations.
"Despite our best efforts, the conference was not in a position to reach consensus on substantive outcomes," Viet said, declining to submit the draft text for adoption.
Russia blocks final document at nuclear treaty conference
The failure underscores widening divisions among nuclear and non-nuclear states at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and growing concerns over a renewed global arms race. Previous NPT review conferences in 2015 and 2022 also ended without consensus, highlighting mounting strains on the treaty widely regarded as the cornerstone of global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret over the collapse of the talks, warning that the "elevated risk posed by nuclear weapons demands urgent action," according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Guterres urged all countries to intensify dialogue and diplomacy to reduce tensions and nuclear risks, while reaffirming the need for sustained international efforts toward eventual nuclear disarmament.
Analysts said that although the latest deadlock does not weaken the treaty's legal status, it further erodes its political credibility amid increasingly fragile global security conditions.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the world's nine nuclear-armed states -- the United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea -- possessed an estimated 12,241 nuclear warheads as of January 2025.
The institute said the United States and Russia together account for nearly 90% of the global nuclear arsenal, with both countries pursuing extensive nuclear modernization programs in recent years.
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