The Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will commence on the 3rd – 7th of March at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. 

The 3MSP acts as a key opportunity for states to collaborate on advancing the TPNW and demonstrating its progress on its implementation ahead of the Treaty’s first Review Conference in 2026.

At the First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) in June 2022, states adopted: 

• the 50-point Vienna Action Plan
• 3x informal working groups (Article 4 on nuclear disarmament verification; Article 6 + 7 on victim assistance; Article 12 on universalisation)
• a Scientific Advisory Group (SAG)
• focal points on gender, complementarity of the TPNW, and security concerns. 

These areas were all reported on at the Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) in November-December of 2023.

This summary provides an overview of the work that has taken place in the period between the 2MSP and 3MSP surrounding Articles 4, 6 and 7, and 12 of the TPNW, including the actions led by the Vienna Action Plan. It also analyses the SAG, gender, complementarity, and security concerns. It further provides recommendations for the 3MSP and the intersessional period leading to the first TPNW Review Conference in 2026.  

Article 4 – Nuclear Disarmament Verification:

Article 4 of the TPNW outlines the pathways for the elimination of nuclear weapons of nuclear-armed states and states hosting other countries’ nuclear weapons on their territories who join the TPNW.

At the 2MSP, the working group, co-chaired by Mexico and New Zealand, achieved significant progress. This included: discussion on the two verification pathways for a nuclear-armed state to join the TPNW; collaboration and questions with experts and members of the Scientific Advisory Group; and designating national contact points within 26 countries.

ICAN’s key recommendations for the 3MSP and the next intersessional process include –

• Renew the mandate of the Informal Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament Verification.
• Continue discussions that further a coherent approach on matters related to nuclear disarmament verification (e.g. cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, discussions on coherent approaches on competent international authority/ authorities, etc).
• Recommend that all states parties should appoint national contact points.

Articles 6 & 7 – Victim Assistance, Environmental Remediation and International Cooperation:

Article 6 of the TPNW requires states parties to provide victim assistance and environmental remediation to individuals and areas “under their jurisdiction or control affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons”

Article 7 of the TPNW requires all states parties in a position to do so to provide assistance to affected states parties and to victims themselves, as well as obligating all states parties to cooperate to facilitate the treaty’s implementation.

At the 2MSP, the working group, co-chaired by Kazakhstan and Kiribati, achieved significant progress. This included: discussion of an international trust fund to finance work on these articles; discussion on the theme of voluntary reporting by States Parties on their implementation of the Articles; and consultation with ICAN and affected community members regarding how to implement these Articles.

ICAN’s recommendations for the 3MSP and the next intersessional process include:

• Renew the mandate of the Informal Working Group on Victim Assistance and Environmental Remediation.
• Build on and push forward national implementation work on victim assistance, environmental remediation, and international cooperation and assistance – upheld through review conferences, reporting, etc.
• Further develop voluntary reporting guidelines.
• Explore an international trust fund for victim assistance and environmental remediation.
• Recommend that all states parties should appoint national contact points for both Articles.

Article 12 – Universalisation:

Article 12 of the TPNW says that states parties must “encourage States not party to this Treaty to sign, ratify, accept or accede to the Treaty, with the goal of universal adherence of all States to the Treaty”

At the 2MSP, the working group, co-chaired by Malaysia and South Africa, reported on their progress. This main progress included: Malaysia and South Africa co-sponsoring a high-level ceremony in 2022 for further TPNW signatures and ratifications (5 states signed – Barbados, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Sierra Leone) (2 states ratified – the Dominican Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo); South Africa, in partnership with ICAN, hosted a seminar to share African regional perspective surrounding the subject; Sri Lanka acceded to, and Bahamas signed, the TPNW.

ICAN’s recommendations for the 3MSP and the next intersessional process include:

• Renew the mandate of the Informal Working Group on Universalisation.
• Call on all states that have not yet signed, ratified, or acceded to the TPNW as soon as possible, with the goal of ‘universal adherence’.
• Reiterate the importance of advancing the universalisation of the Treaty to strengthen regional and international security.

Scientific Advisory Group:

The 1MSP decided to create a Scientific Advisory Group (SAG composed of 15 members, taking into account the need for a comprehensive spread of scientific and technological expertise, gender balance, and equitable geographical distribution.

The SAG is co-chaired by Dr. Patricia Lewis and Dr. Zia Mian.

At the 2MSP, SAG established 2 groups.

SAG Working Group 1 focused on nuclear weapons, including nuclear weapons status, nuclear weapon risks, the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, nuclear disarmament, and related issues.

SAG Working Group 2 focused on scientific network building, namely identifying and engaging scientific and technical institutions in states parties and establishing a network of experts to support the goals of the TPNW.

Gender and Nuclear Weapons:

The 1MSP appointed a focal point for work during the intersessional period to support the implementation of the gender provisions of the Treaty and to report on progress made to the 2MSP.

At the 2MSP, the Gender Focal Point (Chile) achieved progress, including: engaging in guidelines for gender and age sensitive victim assistance, largely relating to Article 7; and consulting experts.

ICAN’s recommendations for the 3MSP and the next intersessional process include:

• Renew the mandate for a Gender Focal Point for the next intersessional period.
• Continue discussions with a view towards developing recommendations for age and gender sensitive victim assistance, environmental remediation, international cooperation, and assistance for the First Review Conference.
• Ensure gender balance in meaningful consultations with affected communities.
• Continue discussions on how to integrate gender-related issues in all national policies, programs, and projects related to the Treaty.

Complementarity of the TPNW:

The 1MSP decided to appoint an informal facilitator/s “to further explore and articulate the possible areas of tangible cooperation between the Treaty and the Non-Proliferation Treaty during the intersessional period”

In the Vienna Action Plan, state parties agreed to “highlight and underscore these complementarities with specific disarmament instruments, particularly the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

At the 2MSP, the working group, co-chaired by Malaysia and South Africa, achieved significant progress, including: Ireland and Thailand organised a panel discussion on Advancing the Complementarity of the TPNW with the Existing Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Regime; Ireland and Thailand, alongside ICAN, organised a Non-Proliferation Treaty Conference side event that highlighted its complementarity with all current nuclear weapon ban treaties.

ICAN’s recommendations for the 3MSP and the next intersessional process include:

• Renew the mandate for complementarity co-facilitators for the next intersessional period.
• Continue to implement Actions 35-38 of the Vienna Action Plan.

Security Concerns:

The 2MSP decided to establish an intersessional process to consult and submit a report to 3MSP containing sets of arguments and recommendations to “better promote and articulate the legitimate security concerns… that result from the existence of nuclear weapons and the concept of nuclear deterrence.”

ICAN’s recommendations for the 3MSP and the next intersessional process include:

• Renew the mandate of the intersessional consultative process on security concerns of States under the TPNW for the next intersessional period.
• Expand the scope of the intersessional consultative process to non-TPNW states parties (e.g. engage in dialogue with states not yet party to the TPNW, etc)

The next meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will be the first TPNW Review Conference in 2026. 

Stay tuned for further reporting on discussions, decisions and outcomes of the Third Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW at the UN Headquarters in NYC on 3-7 March 2025.