February 26, 2021

Dear Network Members and Colleagues,

We would like to share with you our special feature on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in recognition of its entry into force on 22 January 2021.

Also known as the “ban treaty,” the TPNW is an important development in global nuclear diplomacy. Prior to the adoption of the TPNW by the United Nations in 2017, the APLN gathered signatures of 50 members in a statement that called to action countries in the Asia-Pacific to support the aims of the ban treaty.

Since 2017, the APLN continued to examine the issues and challenges surrounding the world’s commitment to ban the use, threat of use, or possession of nuclear weapons. This is a special edition newsletter to showcase the work that we have done in recent years.

Policy Briefs

Over the years, the APLN has provided in-depth, authoritative research and analyses for experts and policymakers on the TPNW. Please find below several policy briefs on the ban treaty.

• The Ban Treaty: Perspectives from Southeast Asia by Mely Caballero-Anthony
• The Ban Treaty and the IAEA Additional Protocol by John Carlson

• Harmonizing the NPT and Ban Treaty through Nuclear Risk Reduction by Possessor States by Rakesh Sood

• Towards a Nuclear Restraint Regime: From a Normative Ban Treaty to a Substantive Agenda by Manpreet Sethi

• Cooperation or Conflict? Walking the Tightrope of NPT and Ban Treaty Supporters by Angela Kane

• Folding the Umbrella: Nuclear Allies, the NPT, and the Ban Treaty by Paul Meyer

• Nuclear Disarmament, the NPT and the Ban Treaty: Proven Ineffectiveness versus Unproven Normative Potential by Ramesh Thakur

• The Ban Treaty and Non-NPT Nuclear Armed States- Can India Make a Difference? By Manpreet Sethi

• China and the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty by Tong Zhao

• The Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty: Springboard for the 2018 Disarmament Conference? By Nyamosor Tuya

• The Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty: Aim, Scope, and Limitations by John Carlson

Perceptions on Nuclear Challenges in South Asia
On 10 February, APLN member and Dr. Manpreet Sethi was interviewed by SIPRI for her insights on nuclear risks that arise from recent tensions at the India-Pakistan and India-China borders. She highlights that regional dialogues are required to identify nuclear risk prevention and mitigation measures. Listen

Preventing Nuclear Proliferation and Reassuring America’s Allies
On 10 February, APLN member and former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd’s co-authored report was published The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. A report from the taskforce on US allies and nuclear weapons proliferation, the authors argue that a weakened American alliances and changing security dynamics challenge America’s nuclear security guarantees among countries in Asia and threaten the 50 year old nuclear non-proliferation regime. Read more

Hopes and Fears about Biden’s North Korean Policy
On 22 February, Prof. Chung-in Moon was featured in a column for Hankyoreh. He outlines the Biden administration’s possible approaches to the DPRK, and highlights the difference in emphasis on human rights issues between past and present leadership. He emphasizes the need for the US and South Korea to work together to avoid past failures in engaging with the DPRK. Read more