A Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone?

First proposed in 1974, the UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions annually to reaffirm its commitment to establishing a NWFZ in the Middle East - with a consensus voting in favor since 1980.

Nuclear Arms Control Regimes

There are currently five NWFZs: Treaty of Tlateloco (Latin America), Treaty of Rarotonga (South Pacific), Treaty of Bangkok (Southeast Asia), Treaty of Pelindaba (Africa), and the Treaty on a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia.

NWFZs are regional agreements that prohibit states from acquiring, developing, or stockpiling nuclear weapons—in short, a geographical area without nuclear weapons.

What are confidence-building measures?

Confidence-building measures enhance regional security and build trust among states, and agreeing to these can signal the credibility of peaceful intentions.

A number of confidence-building measures have been agreed upon by MENWFZ negotiators in the past – over maritime issues (search and rescue), pre-notification of military exercises, exchange of military information, building a regional communication network, and the establishment of three regional security centers – none were implemented.