Can we end war and abolish nuclear weapons? First week of NPT Review Conference

Posted: 5th May 2026

UNFOLD ZERO Newsletter

Civil society representatives address the NPT Review Conference
A call for LAW not War to support nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament

States Parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which includes five nuclear armed countries and all allied and non-nuclear countries in the world, are meeting for four weeks (April 27-May 22) for the five-yearly NPT Review Conference.

This NPT Review Conference comes at a time of armed conflicts involving nuclear armed and non-nuclear States (Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the US-Israel military attacks against Iran), and a renewed nuclear arms race between the nuclear-armed States. On Friday May 1, civil society representatives were invited to address the governments.

“Promoting credible alternatives to nuclear deterrence – including to prevent aggression – is critical to global security for current and future generations,” asserted Kehkashan Basu, speaking on behalf of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy, a member organization of UNFOLD ZERO.

“Common security offers a practical framework, based on the understanding that lasting security depends on addressing the concerns of all states, including adversaries,” explained Ms Basu. “It emphasizes diplomacy, negotiation, mediation, and the application of international law to prevent conflict and resolve disputes.”

“The UN Charter provides clear avenues for peaceful resolution of conflicts, including mediation, arbitration, and adjudication. Strengthening these mechanisms, including broader acceptance of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, is essential to reinforcing a rules-based international order.”

Read the full presentation by Kehkashan Basu.

Kehkashan Basu, Co-President of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy, speaking to the States Parties to the NPT at the United Nations on May 1, 2026

LAW not War and the US-Israel conflict with Iran:

Common security and the role of the International Court of Justice to advance LAW not War were also promoted at the May 1 plenary session by Bill Kidd, Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament.

“We need to strengthen the roles of the UN General Assembly, International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) to prevent – and build accountability for – acts of aggression,” urged Mr Kidd to the States Parties to the NPT. “And we need to support the establishment of additional nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially in the Middle East. In these ways we can replace the reliance on nuclear deterrence with reliance on common security.”

Mr Kidd submitted a proposal by UNFOLD ZERO Co-founder Jonathan Granoff to the NPT Review Conference, that could potentially end the US-Israel v Iran war and strengthen the NPT.

“The proposal, which has been covered by Newsweek (War Won’t Solve Iran’s Nuclear Threat. This Could, April 25, 2026), advocates making comprehensive inspection safeguards, much like the JCPOA and the Chemical Weapons Convention, apply to all non-nuclear weapons States parties to the NPT, not just Iran,” explained Mr Kidd. “This would make the world safer, stop the next North Korea, and allow both the USA and Iran to rightfully claim a victory for the world. It would also strengthen the legitimacy of the NPT regime by reinforcing its nonproliferation pillar.”

Read the full presentation by Bill Kidd.

Bill Kidd MSP, Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, addressing the NPT Review Conference.

Legal imperative to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world

 

“2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons—an opinion that underscored both the profound legal constraints on these weapons and the obligation to pursue and conclude negotiations leading to complete nuclear disarmament,” reported Rebecca Shoot, PNND Senior Adviser and Co-convenor of the ImPact Coalition on Strengthening the International Judicial Institutions.

“The indefinite retention of nuclear weapons cannot be reconciled with an obligation to conclude negotiations for their elimination,” pronounced Dr. Deepshikha Kumari Vijh, Executive Director of Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, to the NPT plenary. “Nor can doctrines premised on perpetual readiness to inflict mass destruction be squared with the principles of humanity or the imperative to safeguard future generations. The survival of humanity demands movement from rhetoric to negotiations, from negotiations to implementation, and from implementation to abolition.”

Read the full presentation by Dr Deepshikha Kumari Vijh

Nuclear Abolition Day Appeal

Ms Shoot also presented the Nuclear Abolition Day Appeal to the NPT plenary. The Appeal, which was drafted by NuclearAbolitionDay.org, has been endorsed by more than 670 organizations and 1400 additional individuals from 101 countries, including Nobel Laureates, former high level officials (foreign ministers, UN Officials…), parliamentarians, local body representatives, other political leaders, academics/scientists, religious leaders, medical professionals, youth leaders, educators, business leaders, artists and other members of civil society.

The Appeal calls on States to affirm the inadmissibility of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, stand down nuclear forces, pledge to achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons no later than 2045, cut nuclear weapons budgets and reinvest these funds in peace, climate protection and human security.

Read the full presentation by Rebecca Shoot

Some of the endorsers of the Nuclear Abolition Day Appeal doing the Stop Nuclear Weapons: Peace is in our Hands social media action. The Appeal was presented to the NPT Review Conference on May 1 by Rebecca Shoot. It has been endorsed by 670 organizations and over 1400 additional individuals.  

NPT presentations and Update

For further reports and examples of the civil society presentations see Can we end war and abolish nuclear weapons? Promoting LAW not War at the first week of the NPT Review Conference and Civil Society presentations. For an update on the NPT deliberations see The 11th NPT RevCon: Choppy Waters Through Week 1; Rough Seas Ahead (Arms Control Association).

Upcoming events at the NPT

UNFOLD ZERO members will continue to engage in the NPT Review Conference in its second week (May 4-8), including by organising a side event Can Common Security replace Nuclear Deterrence? on May 5 and a side event A Nobel Effort: The Roles and Actions of Parliamentarians to support Diplomacy, Disarmament and International Humanitarian Law on May 6.

There will also be a Nuclear Abolition Day side event on May 8 to follow-up on the presentation of the Appeal to the NPT and prepare for the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26.

Yours sincerely
UNFOLD ZERO