The 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will begin today in New York. Convened by the United Nations, States Parties will gather over a period of four weeks to review progress on the NPT’s three pillars – disarmament, non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The 11th Review Conference of the NPT is taking place at a time of heightened international tension and armed conflict.

In recent years, tensions among States, including nuclear-weapon States, have intensified, and instances of direct armed confrontation have increased. Attacks involving nuclear facilities, threats concerning the possible use of nuclear weapons or the resumption of nuclear-weapon test explosions, the continued expansion and modernisation of nuclear arsenals, and ongoing proliferation challenges underscore the gravity of the current international security environment.

The UN’s High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, said that the event provides an opportunity for States to identify common areas against the background of an extremely difficult security environment and increasingly concerning rhetoric. She warned that the threat of nuclear weapons use is growing. She said that if there are more nuclear-weapon states, the risk of nuclear weapons being used by mistake goes up.