The True Value of the Delhi Declaration

6 Oct 2023 | APLN

6 October 2023

This week, Manpreet Sethi writes on how to seize the opportunity offered by the recent G-20 Summit statement to devalue nuclear weapons, we share a new infographic on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in the Pacific, and we welcome Fang Liu as a new Policy Fellow.

We also share the latest activities from our network, including analysis on the impact of emerging technologies on nuclear deterrence, middle-power agency in the Indo-Pacific, and India’s recent military exercises.

Understanding the Value of ‘Inadmissibility’

“The statement on inadmissibility of the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons seems to go a step ahead of the Reagan-Gorbachev formulation that had spoken about the inadvisability of nuclear war.”

Manpreet Sethi writes on the value of the 2023 G20 Delhi Declaration in reinforcing the norm of non-use when it comes to nuclear weapons. She focuses on the assertion that “the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible,” arguing that such consensus-based statements, particularly in fora which include almost all nuclear-armed states, can help re-enforce the non-use norm, reduce the political value of nuclear weapons, and offer an opportunity to hold nations to the highest standards of nuclear behaviour and action.

Read the commentary

The TPNW in the Pacific

Pacific States have different views on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Some, like Fiji and New Zealand, were early adopters of the treaty, while others, like the Federated States of Micronesia, oppose the treaty.

It can be difficult to keep track of where each nation stands on the TPNW, which is why we put together an infographic that explains it all.

This infographic was produced as part of our project on Nuclear Disarmament and the Anthropocene: Voices from Pacific Island Countries.

See the infographic

APLN warmly welcomes Fang Liu as a Policy Fellow. Fang was previously a Research Assistant with APLN and is a recent graduate of Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies with a Master’s degree in Global Affairs and Policy. She received her first Master’s degree in Transcultural Studies from Heidelberg University and her Bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature from Sun Yat-sen University. Her research interests include Chinese politics and foreign policy, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and East Asian history.

APLN has over 150 members from 22 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.

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The Extended Nuclear Deterrence Problem in the Age of AI

Rabia Akhtar, founding Director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research at the University of Lahore, writes for Pakistan Politico on the impact of emerging technologies on nuclear deterrence, arguing that it is imperative to reassess current policies and cultivate innovative strategies to uphold global peace and stability.

Asia-Pacific vs. Indo-Pacific: Paradigm Shift or False Choice?

Chung-in Moon, APLN Vice Chair, wrote for Global Asia on the notion of the Asia-Pacific and compares it with the concept of Indo-Pacific. He argues that there can be other alternative options, for example, South Korea can work with other middle powers to forge a new international consensus on norms, principles, rules and procedures to prevent US-China conflicts.

Windmills in a North Korean Cabbage Patch

Peter Hayes, Executive Director of the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development, was featured in a podcast hosted by Jeffrey Lewis. Together with Lyuba Zarsky and David von Hippel, they discussed whether it is possible for Americans and North Koreans to work together toward peace.

India’s Balancing Act Viewed Through Recent Military Exercises

Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Director of the Centre for Security, Strategy, and Technology, wrote for the Diplomat on India’s continuing balancing act between the major powers, for example, engaging in simultaneous military exercises with both the U.S. and Russia in an effort to balance its strategic interests.

Middle-Power Agency in an Indo-Pacific Era

Cheng-Chwee Kuik, Professor of International Relations at the National University of Malaysia (UKM), co-wrote an article for Global Asia with Paul Evans. They lay out the intellectual and foreign-policy challenges around the Indo-Pacific as a term to describe what is emerging in the region amid the growing US-China geopolitical rivalry.

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