New york: Governments from most countries around the world are set to participate in the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which opens Monday at United Nations headquarters and runs through May 22. Held every five years, the conference assesses the effectiveness of the treaty-born out of Cold War tensions more than half a century ago-and examines whether it can advance disarmament, restraint, and cooperation amid mounting global security challenges.

According to Qatar News Agency, the NPT is one of the most widely adhered-to multilateral agreements and a cornerstone of international security. Entering into force in 1970, it is regarded as a landmark diplomatic achievement of the United Nations. The treaty aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons by prohibiting their development, testing, production, acquisition, transfer, use, or threat of use. It also promotes cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and advances the goal of general and complete nuclear disarmament.

To date, 191 states have joined the treaty, which formally recognizes five nuclear-weapon states-the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China-on the basis that they conducted nuclear tests prior to January 1, 1967. However, non-signatory states possessing nuclear weapons remain a major challenge to the treaty's effectiveness, as they operate outside its legal and verification framework.

The United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, stated that the review conference provides an opportunity for countries to identify common ground despite an increasingly difficult security environment and escalating rhetoric. She warned that the risk of nuclear weapons use is rising and must not be allowed to become normalized. Emphasizing that the conference is not a mere procedural exercise, she urged diplomats to steer it toward meaningful outcomes, noting that the future of the global nuclear order is at stake. She also cautioned that the growing number of nuclear-armed states increases the likelihood of accidental use.

Despite the treaty's success in preventing the use of nuclear weapons in conflict for over five decades, the global non-proliferation regime is facing what many describe as its most serious crisis in years. The international security landscape is marked by rising nuclear risks and deepening mistrust, while many Cold War-era agreements have either collapsed or expired. In February, the New START treaty between the United States and Russia-which capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads-expired without a replacement.

At the time, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is entering uncharted territory, with no legally binding limits on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia, which together possess the vast majority of the world's nuclear weapons.

This era of mistrust was reflected in the previous two NPT review conferences in 2015 and 2022, both of which concluded without agreement on a substantive final document, underscoring persistent divisions among states over priorities, commitments, and the path forward.