Indonesia Calls For Stronger Nuclear Disarmament After NPT Talks End Without Consensus

By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil

JAKARTA, May 25 (Bernama) -- Indonesia warned that rising global nuclear risks should serve as a wake-up call for stronger disarmament efforts, after the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) failed to reach consensus on a substantive final document.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said geopolitical tensions, nuclear arsenal modernisation, possible nuclear testing, and the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence in nuclear command and control systems, were increasing the risks of miscalculation, escalation, and the use of nuclear weapons.

The ministry said more than 12,000 nuclear warheads remain in existence globally, warning that any use of nuclear weapons would bring catastrophic consequences to humanity and the environment.

“Nuclear disarmament is not an abstract agenda, but a real necessity for global peace, stability, and security,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The ministry said Indonesia expressed disappointment over the failure to reach consensus on the substantive final document, stressing that countries should not weaken nuclear disarmament commitments or standards agreed upon in previous review cycles merely to secure an agreement.

“Non-nuclear weapon states have carried out strict non-proliferation obligations under the NPT. Therefore, nuclear-weapon states must undertake concrete measures to implement their nuclear disarmament obligations in accordance with Article VI of the NPT,” it said.

It said Indonesia as coordinator of the Non-Aligned Movement, led coordination among 118 member states during the conference held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from April 27 to May 22 to promote implementation of the NPT in a balanced, credible, and non-discriminatory manner.

It said Indonesia also emphasised the importance of ensuring the right of every state party to utilise nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.

“Access to peaceful nuclear technology must not be restricted through politicised, selective, or discriminatory approaches,” the ministry said.

The ministry said the outcome of the conference should instead serve as a warning that nuclear risks are becoming increasingly real and that stronger political will and trust are needed to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

-- BERNAMA