Statement of The Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) On The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

(26 September 2020)

On the occasion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, 26 September 2020, the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) reiterates its appeal to all Nuclear Armed States (NASs) to achieve the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons in the world.

The 10^th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was supposed to take place in New York in April/ May 2020, and coincided with the Fiftieth Anniversary of the entry- into force of the NPT. Unfortunately, that Conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to a later date in 2021.

It is worth noting that the NPT which was recommended by the General Assembly in 1968 did not achieve its ultimate objective, namely nuclear disarmament, after fifty years since its entry into force in 1970. Although the postponed NPT Review Conference is the 10^th of the series of Conferences assigned to review the NPT, no progress was realized to achieve the said objective due to the nuclear arms race led by the Nuclear Weapon States (NWSs) and States that did not adhere yet to the NPT, including Israel, that maintained their nuclear arsenals. ECFA expresses its great concern of the failure of the NPT Review Conferences to accomplish its stated objective.

Since the Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWSs) lost hope in reaching the elimination of nuclear weapons from the world, fortunately they succeeded in negotiating a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which was adopted in New York by 122 countries on 7 July 2017. The TPNW was opened for signature on 20 September 2017 in New York, at the beginning of the 72^nd General Assembly session. So far, with Malta signing the treaty on 25 August 2020, the number of signatories of the TPNW reached 84 countries, with 44 countries ratified it. Once 50 countries ratify or adhere to it, the TPNW will enter into force, hopefully before 2021. ECFA appeals to all States, particularly the Nuclear Armed States, to adhere to it at their earliest convenience, so the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons in the world will be realized.