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# 									P3 Joint Statement on Security Assurances							

Joint Statement

Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

August 4, 2022

France, the United Kingdom, and the United States recognize the legitimate interest of non-nuclear-weapon States (NNWS) Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to receive security assurances.  Such assurances given to NPT NNWS Parties against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (negative security assurances), and of assistance to such States that are victims of aggression involving nuclear weapons or threatened with such aggression (positive security assurances), underscore the security benefits of adhering to and fully complying with the NPT and further the objective of preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons while advancing the NPT’s nuclear disarmament goals.  In the context of Russia’s repeated and flagrant disregard for its international obligations and commitments, including obligations under the United Nations Charter and commitments under the Budapest Memorandum, we reaffirm our NPT-related security assurances – both positive and negative.

We reaffirm in that regard, our existing national security assurances regarding the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons against NNWS Parties to the NPT.  We confirm that by ratifying relevant protocols to the treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, we have undertaken legally binding obligations to respect the status of such zones and not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against States Parties to such treaties.

We further recall our ratification or support for ratification of the relevant protocols to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, and the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.  We further note our readiness to engage with parties to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in order to sign the revised protocol without delay.

Our governments further reaffirm our national positive security assurances referenced in UNSCRs 255 (1968) and 984 (1995).  We recognize the necessity of providing or supporting immediate assistance to any NNWS Party to the NPT that is an object of a threat of or act of aggression involving the use of nuclear weapons.  We recall that UNSCR 984 also invited UN Member States to take appropriate measures in response to a request for technical, medical, scientific or humanitarian assistance from a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the NPT that is a victim of an act of aggression with nuclear weapons.  Forms of relevant assistance may include radiological emergency response, detection and assessment, and environmental mitigation as may be made available by UN Member States or relevant international organizations.

We are committed to continue working on such appropriate measures to safeguard the security of NPT NNWS Parties in compliance with their relevant nonproliferation obligations.  We do so in consideration of our NPT undertakings and our enduring commitment to honor assurances given.

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Arms Control and NonproliferationBureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and StabilityBureau of International Security and NonproliferationNon-Proliferation Treaty

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