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Pillar 1

Action 8

All nuclear-weapon States commit to fully respect their existing commitments with regard to security assurances. Those nuclear-weapon States that have not yet done so are encouraged to extend security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the Treaty.

United Kingdom

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle)?

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle?

Sources

United States

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle)?

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle?

Sources

France

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle)?

Since 1982, France has provided negative security assurances to more than 100 non-nuclear-weapon states that comply with their non-proliferation obligations. This commitment by France, as well as by other nuclear-weapon states, is enshrined in Resolution 984 adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 1995, which was reiterated in UNSC Resolution 1887 (2009) and Resolution 2310 (2016). In 2015, the negative assurances given by France to non-nuclear-weapon states were repeated by the President of the Republic, who recognised that these were ‘legitimate’ expectations.

    • n 4 August 2022, the United States, France and the United Kingdom published a joint statement at the NPT Review Conference reiterating their commitment to security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states.
      France specifies that its negative security assurances apply to countries that comply with their non-proliferation obligations and does not affect its right of legitimate self-defence as recognised by the UN Charter.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle?

France has continued to uphold its negative security guarantees as stated in previous statements.

Sources

State Department. P3 Joint Statement on Security Assurances, Joint Statement. Bureau Of International Security And Nonproliferation. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (New York,) 4 August 2022. https://2021-2025.state.gov/p3-joint-statement-on-security-assurances/#:~:text=France%2C%20the%20United%20Kingdom%2C%20and,NPT)%20to%20receive%20security%20assurances.

Statement by France. Conference on Disarmament – Statement by Ambassador Camille Petit in Subsidiary Body 4 [Review of existing safeguards, including their effectiveness, and the role and significance of nuclear-weapon-free zones] (Geneva), 13 May 2025, https://cd-geneve.delegfrance.org/Conference-on-Disarmament-Statement-by-Ambassador-Camille-Petit-in-Subsidiary-2479