Nuclear arms control at crossroads: Implications for the Non-Proliferation Treaty

UNIDIR, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, is organizing a series of nuclear-related events in the lead-up to the 2026 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. The conference is central to evaluating the implementation of the treaty and shaping its future direction. These events aim to enhance understanding of key issues and deepen engagement with the NPT review processes, procedures and potential outcomes.

In the second event of the series, discussions focused on the future of nuclear arms control. Throughout the current NPT review cycle, many States Parties have voiced concerns about the erosion of the arms control architecture. Several key bilateral agreements have collapsed, and the landmark New START Treaty is set to expire in February 2026. Without these guardrails, the world risks entering a new and unrestrained nuclear arms race at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. The event brought together senior officials and experts to assess the current situation and explore practical options for the future of nuclear arms control and the broader NPT regime.

Opening remarks: Ambassador (Ret) Jarmo Viinanen, Chair, First Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 NPT Review Conference

Panellists:
Alexandra Bell, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Anton Khlopkov, Director, Center for Energy and Security Studies
Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Moderated by Andrey Baklitskiy, Senior Researcher, Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme, UNIDIR.

When and where: Wednesday, 10 December 2025, 16:00–17:30 CET, online.

☢️ Nuclear weapons risk reduction: https://unidir.org/work/nuclear-risk/
💣 Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme: https://unidir.org/WMD
🌐 UNIDIR: https://unidir.org