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Looking ahead to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference 2026

The 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) takes place in New York from 27 April to 22 May 2026.

For nearly a month, states party to the NPT, observers and non-governmental organisations will meet to discuss the functioning of the treaty, the implementation of its provisions and the state of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation more broadly.

Atmosphere going into the conference

There are concerns that a belief in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation is under threat.

In response to a dynamic and increasingly challenging international security context, deterrence and defence is becoming a priority. The nuclear weapon states continue to modernise, and in some cases expand, their nuclear capabilities. At the same time, there has been a move away from nuclear arms control as an enabler of confidence building and strategic stability. The idea of ‘global zero’, or a world without nuclear weapons, is seen to be steadily eroding.

Outcome of previous conferences

The NPT Review Conference meets every five years but has not agreed a consensual Final Document since 2010. Failure to agree a final document for the third time in a row would be unprecedented in the treaty’s history.

Some commentators have expressed concern that an unsuccessful outcome will damage the credibility of the NPT in the future.