Publication

Ahead of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Conference in April and May 2015, the NPT faces criticism from non-nuclear states whose patience with the treaty's apparent lack of success is running out. These states have found leverage in the form of the so-called humanitarian initiative, which seeks to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons in light of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences and associated risks, to bolster their case for an alternative approach to nuclear non-proliferation. This paper discusses the extent to which the goals of the NPT and the goals of the humanitarian initiative are complimentary as well as how the presence of the latter is likely to affect the discussions at the NPT Conference.