Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 05/2012

Preparing for a Constructive 2012 Conference on the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone

W.P.S. Sidhu (ed), Bruce Jones (ed), with Colette Jaycox

April 2012

Center on International Cooperation

Abstract

The consensus decision reached at the 2010 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to convene a conference in 2012 on the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the Middle East was, perhaps, the most salient outcome of the quinquennium gathering.  It is also one of the most challenging undertakings for at least three reasons. First, in the case of all other nuclear weapon free zones (NWFZs) the decision not to build or to give up possession of nuclear weapons preceded the establishment of the zone. This is not the case in the Middle East, where no such decision has been made and the process of establishing the zone will have to be coupled with moves to either not build or to give up existing nuclear weapons. Indeed, such moves are unlikely in the absence of a rock-solid security umbrella. In addition, unlike other zones, the proposed zone in the Middle East will also have to create instruments and procedures to dismantle not only nuclear weapons but also other WMDs and verify the process.