UN warns renewed nuclear testing could trigger a new arms race

Yesterday 09:05

By: Azzat Manal

UN warns renewed nuclear testing could trigger a new arms race

The United Nations has warned that any resumption of nuclear weapons testing could undermine decades of restraint and potentially trigger a new global arms race, amid growing geopolitical tensions and declining confidence between major powers.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said the international community was confronting a particularly fragile security environment. She stressed that even considering a return to nuclear testing was dangerous because it could deepen mistrust and encourage other nuclear-armed states to follow suit.

The warning comes against a backdrop of renewed concerns over the future of nuclear arms control. The United States and Russia, which possess the world's two largest nuclear arsenals, have raised concerns about the possibility of returning to nuclear testing. Washington has also accused Russia and China of conducting nuclear tests, allegations that both countries have rejected.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, adopted in 1996, remains a central instrument in international efforts to prevent the development and refinement of nuclear weapons. However, the treaty has still not entered into force because several countries whose ratification is required have yet to approve it.

The United States, China, Iran, Egypt and Israel have signed the treaty but have not ratified it. India, Pakistan and North Korea have neither signed nor ratified the agreement. Russia ratified the treaty but withdrew its ratification in 2023, while continuing to state that it would not conduct nuclear tests unless the United States did so first.

Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, said the international community had made significant progress since the era of frequent nuclear testing. More than 2,000 nuclear explosions have been conducted worldwide since 1945, while fewer than a dozen tests have taken place during the past three decades.

The accession of Tonga to the treaty recently brought the number of states parties to 179, highlighting continued international support for the global testing ban despite persistent geopolitical divisions.

UN officials warn that a renewed testing cycle could have consequences far beyond individual nuclear programs. New tests could allow countries to develop more sophisticated weapons, increase uncertainty surrounding nuclear capabilities and raise the possibility of miscalculation during international crises.

For the United Nations, maintaining the existing global restraint remains essential to preventing a new phase of nuclear competition. As strategic tensions increase among major powers, the organization is urging governments to preserve the testing moratorium and strengthen international efforts toward nuclear disarmament and arms control.