Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor (NWBM) report on nuclear weapons
According to the recently released Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor (NWBM) report, the stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world is increasing.
- The purpose of the NWBM report is to track progress being made to eliminate nuclear weapons from the world. This purpose is also mentioned in the Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons: TPNW. This treaty came into force in the year 2021.
- The TPNW is a legally binding treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons. The treaty aims at the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
- However, 9 countries having nuclear weapons in the world have not joined this treaty.
These countries are – China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States of America.
Key findings of the report:
- By the beginning of the year 2022, the nine nuclear-rich countries of the world have a combined 12,705 nuclear weapons.
- Russia and the US have 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons.
- China, India, North Korea and Pakistan continued to increase their nuclear weapons stockpile last year. If this rate of growth continues, the declining trend in nuclear weapons may soon reverse.
Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor
- It was established in the year 2018 as a research program. Its report is prepared and published by the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA). The NPA is a partner organization of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
- ICAN is a coalition of NGOs. It is an organization promoting the observance and implementation of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
- It evaluates nuclear weapons-related policies and practices of each of the 197 countries that are parties or non-parties to global treaties on the reduction of nuclear weapons.
India’s stand on nuclear weapons
- India is one of the five countries (Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan) that are not part of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty). However, India was exempted from NPT.
- At present, India has a nuclear capable ballistic missile submarine. It completes the “nuclear triad” of India. Nuclear triad means the ability to fire nuclear weapons from land, air and sea.
Source – The Hindu
