On 29 April, UNIDIR and Mayors for Peace co-organized a side event to the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entitled Taking stock of the NPT: Achievements, persistent challenges, and emerging opportunities. The event provided a space to exchange views on how the review conference can advance progress, support constructive engagement, and help shape the long-term direction of the NPT process across all three of its pillars: non-proliferation, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and nuclear disarmament.
Moderated by UNIDIR Director, Robin Geiss, the discussion featured opening remarks by the Mayor of Hiroshima and President of Mayors for Peace, Kazumi Matsui, who highlighted the importance of nuclear disarmament. He was followed by UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, who emphasized that the review conference represents a significant opportunity for State Parties and in particular nuclear-weapon States to reaffirm their commitments under the treaty.
Minister Kimitake Nakamura, Director-General of the Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to the NPT. He highlighted the importance of the disarmament and non-proliferation education as a key tool for promoting a world without nuclear weapons, especially for the younger generation.
Examining the state of the three pillars
Dr Chen Zak Kane, Head of UNIDIR’s Middle East WMD-Free Zone Project covered the non-proliferation pillar, noting that this is an area where the treaty’s tools have been most visibly tested. She stressed the importance of universalizing Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols and ensuring that the International Atomic Energy Agency has the resources to implement them effectively. She also emphasized the need for safeguards to adapt to emerging technologies. While AI could lower barriers to WMD development, real constraints remain on how far it enables new actors to build nuclear weapons.
Turning to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, Dr Shun Oshita, a Senior Lecturer with the Hiroshima Peace Institute, argued that Article IV has historically served as a “built‑in stabilizer” for the NPT’s “grand bargain”. However, there was a risk that this was leading to the stagnation of nuclear disarmament. He argued that the “good faith” obligations of Article VI must be scrutinized potentially through some form of institutional body.
Focusing on nuclear disarmament, Dr Randy Rydell, Honorary Advisor at Mayors for Peace drew attention to the fundamental “principles” that the UN General Assembly adopted to guide the negotiation of the treaty. He also highlighted some of the persistent challenges of implementing disarmament commitments. While recognizing that Article VI is not the only legal instrument to advance disarmament, he stressed the extent that the entire treaty depends on demonstrable fulfilment of these obligations – as observed at its review conferences.
What to expect from the review conference
During the discussion, the panellists and audience members discussed possible outcomes of the review conference. Participants also discussed the importance of nuclear weapons States demonstrating good faith in their commitment to the treaty, as well as the possibility of convening a fourth Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament if the NPT Review Conference fails.
The event was part of an ongoing partnership between UNIDIR and Mayors for Peace, as well as of a dynamic series of side events organized by UNIDIR and its partners during the 2026 NPT Review Conference. These events aimed to enhance understanding of key issues and deepen engagement with processes, procedures and potential outcomes.