BASIC Publishes Report on Middle Eastern Positions on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

October 20, 2014

The British American Security Information Council (BASIC) has published a report entitled, "Toward the 2015 NPT Review Conference: Attitudes and Expectations of Member States in the Middle East."

The report focuses on the positions of different Middle Eastern actors in relation to the upcoming Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, which will take place next year. 

Almost 20 years since the indefinite extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), members of the Arab League have threatened to reconsider their position toward that extension on the basis that there has been no progress on the 1995 resolution associated with establishing a Middle East Zone free from weapons of mass destruction. This resolution was considered as part of the political deal to extend the Treaty indefinitely, ensuring the success of theNPT review process is closely associated with achieving progress on the Zone’s establishment.

This briefing is published in advance of the UN First Committee in October 2014 at which member states will be discussing key issues such as the Helsinki Conference and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East as well as announcing the Chair of next year’s NPT Review Conference. It reports on the perspectives and expectations of Arab and Iranian officials toward the 2015 NPT Review Conference, drawing from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including in-person interviews with representatives from Egypt, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Iran.

Read the full report here. 

Photo courtesy of Nuclear Information Service.