Public International Law

Nuclear Disarmament and International Security: United

States of America

THE AMITY UNIVERSITY, DUBAI

BATCH:2020-2025

COURSE CODE:
LAW405
SUBMITTED BY: ISRAA ZAIDI
PROGRAMME NAME: B.A L.L. B (H)
AUD14779
 DRAFT RESOLUTION

United Nations General Assembly First Committee

Countries: United States, Russian Federation, China, France and the United Kingdom, India,
Mexico, Iran, Malaysia, Cuba, Japan and North Korea.

Topic: Nuclear Disarmament and International Security

Good morning Distinguished Delegates and Honourable Chairperson

I am a delegate of the United States and I would like to make an explanation regarding the issue of
promotion of nuclear energy with conjunction to 2030 sustainable development goals. After WW2, the
United States had created the atomic energy commission to explore the peaceful use of nuclear
energy and for the past 60 years, the United States has employed this nuclear power to generate
reliable, low-carbon energy and it has been used to support national security activities.

The United States of America believes that in order to ensure a sustainable future for the coming
generations, we must ensure the long-term use of nuclear energy for the sake of industry and
technological innovation. We also believe that nuclear energy should be used responsibly for the
consumption and production of resources that will sustain future generations, thus aligning with the
2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Nuclear power, uses sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity, which account for
almost 20% of all electricity that is generated in the United States that is heavily relied upon by
millions of people. Agreeing to the nuclear disarmament resolution will also jeopardise the U.S
economy as, as the nuclear industry sustains over half a million jobs in the country and adds an
estimated $60 billion to the country's GDP each year putting millions of people life at stake

Our primary aim is to expand nuclear power as a resource that is capable of meeting our countries'
energy and environmental needs. Nuclear energy can be utilised to cut carbon emissions and address
the ever-increasing threat of climate change. It also keeps the air clean by removing thousands of
tons of harmful air pollution The United States of America does not want to see nuclear energy as a
threat, but rather as a resource that can help maintain sustainability.

The United States has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
(TPNW). Since 2018, the US has repeatedly voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution
that welcomes the TPNW and urges other governments to join, ratify, or accede to it "as soon as
possible."

In December 2021, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said: “We do not support the Treaty on
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Seeking to ban nuclear weapons through a treaty that does not
include any of the countries that actually possess nuclear weapons is not likely to produce any
results.”

Along with other nuclear-armed states, the United States has said that it does “not accept any claim
that [the TPNW] contributes to the development of customary international law”. It has called on all
states that are considering supporting the the TPNW “to reflect seriously on its implications for
international peace and security”.

With the TPNW's entry into effect approaching in October 2020, the US urged governments who had
previously ratified the treaty to withdraw their support. However, in September 2021, Bonnie Jenkins,
the US assistant secretary for arms control and international security, stated that the US is no longer
"telling countries that they shouldn't sign" the TPNW.

Nuclear weapons Programmed.

The United States has a total stockpile of 3,708 weapons, which consist of Intercontinental and
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.

The United States conducted 1,030 nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992, most of them in Nevada and
the Marshall Islands, but some of them over the Malden and Kiritimati islands, Alaska, Colorado,
Mississippi, New Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Commitments and policies

Disarmament and Commitments to Reduce Arsenal Size

  The United States has a legal obligation to pursue global disarmament under under Article VI
of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT).
 The United States and Russia agreed in the New START treaty, (Strategic Arms Reduction
Treaty) which went into effect on February 5, 2011, to limit their deployed strategic warheads
to no more than 1,550 each; to deploy no more than 700 intercontinental and submarine
ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers; and to limit ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and
heavy bombers to no more than 800.
 The United States appears to be in compliance with its New START agreements as of 2022.
The United States has not lowered its total inventory of strategic launchers since 2017, yet it
remains within the treaty's restrictions.
 The United States and Russia agreed to extend the New START deal for another five years,
until February 5, 2026. It has stated its willingness to discuss a follow-up to New START.

 Dismantled 11,683 nuclear warheads from FY 1994 through 2020.

 Reduced from the largest U.S. stockpile of 31,255 warheads in 1967 to the current stockpile
of 3,708 deployed and reserved warheads.

Future Commitments

 The official policy of the United States is to seek nuclear disarmament in stages in order to
establish a nuclear-weapons-free world.
 The United States has still not signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons.
 The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was signed in September 1996,
although it has yet to be ratified.

 The United States has stated its support of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT).

Nuclear weapons policy

Nuclear testing

 Observed nuclear testing moratorium since 1992.

 Signed the CTBT in 1996 but has yet to ratify the treaty.
 Ratified the PTBT (which prohibits nuclear testing in the atmosphere, outer space, and under
water) in 1963.

Use of nuclear weapons

  The Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) for 2022 maintains the United States' need for nuclear
weapons as a deterrent, to decreasing nuclear weapons' role in US policy.
 Will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against NPT Non-Nuclear Weapon States
(NNWS) that are conforming to their nuclear nonproliferation commitments.
 Maintains the first-use option.
 According to the 2022 NPR, the United States would contemplate using nuclear weapons
only in "extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its Allies
and partners."

The Issues that were brought before this assembly were:

1. Enviormental Consequences: The United States agrees ‘for’ the issue of enviormental
consequences caused by nuclear weapons. The end of World War II signified the start of the
atomic age, with a number of states launching a nuclear weapons race. Initially, during 1945-
1964, countries such as the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and
China became nuclear powers due to the dynamic event of Cold War geopolitics and a lack of
effective international disarmament measures.

The United States and the Soviet Union conducted a large number of nuclear tests in the atmosphere
between 1945 and 1963, with the most notable examples being the first nuclear explosions of the
hydrogen bomb conducted in 1954 by the United States in the Marshall Islands, on the Bikini atoll
(the Castle Bravo test); and in 1961 by the Soviet Union in the Novaia Zemlia archipelago, north of
the Ural mountains (the Tsar test). The severe environmental damage caused by these nuclear tests,
the most powerful ever conducted in the atmosphere, as well as the broader context of global nuclear
weapons testing, have laid the groundwork for the first instance of large-scale international
cooperation to eliminate nuclear weapons testing.

Therefore in 1996, the unites states signed the Comprhensive nuclear test ban theory. However, the
large number of nuclear weapons tests conducted in the atmosphere and underground between 1945
and 2013 (the last nuclear test was conducted by North Korea) is to blame for current environmental
contamination with radioactive waste, which has resulted in ecologically and socially destroyed sites
due to high levels of radioactivity.

2. Humanitarian consequences:

A nuclear weapon detonation in or near a populated area would cause massive death and
destruction as a result of the blast wave, intense heat, and radiation and radioactive fallout, as well
as long-term harm to human health and well-being, as well as long-term damage to the
 environment, infrastructure, socioeconomic development, and social order. The consequences of a
nuclear weapon detonation, particularly the radioactive fallout carried downwind, are not
restricted inside national borders.

The scale of destruction and contamination following a nuclear detonation in or near a populated area
could cause significant social and political upheaval, as it would take decades to rebuild infrastructure
and regenerate economic activities, trade, communications, health-care facilities, and schools.
Notably, due to the long-term effects of ionizing radiation exposure, the use or testing of nuclear
weapons has left a legacy of major health and environmental consequences in various parts of the
world, disproportionately affecting women and children.

The immediate and long-term humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons use
and testing remain under scientific scrutiny, with emerging evidence and analysis of the sex- and age-
differentiated effects of ionizing radiation on human health, the long-term effects of nuclear weapons
testing on the environment, including mortality and infant mortality rates, the consequences of a
nuclear war on the global climate, and the consequences of a nuclear war on the global climate. While
certain elements of these repercussions are not fully understood and require further research, these
scientific studies provide new and strong evidence of long-term harm to human health and the
environment from nuclear weapons use and testing.

3. Danger for neighbouring states:

The Unites States would like to abstain from this issue. United States possessed nuclear weapons
during the cold war to deter soviet aggression and to reassure NATO allies in western Europe.
However with the end of the cold war the soviet union was gone and NATO has since then, enlarged
in number and all the ballistic missiles serve as an important detterent against Russia. These weapons
also still continue to provide NATO with a valuable military detterent and are an important symbol of
the commitment of united States towards its allies

It is argued that withdrawing them would send a dangerous message of US retreat to potential
opponents in Europe and beyond. Even if these weapons have limited military worth, supporters argue
that they could be used as a negotiating tool in future talks with Russia, especially as Moscow has
long advocated for their removal. As a result, they argue, the US should not withdraw them unless
Russia makes significant concessions. Therefore the Unites States feels that nuclear weapons wont
necessarily cause any danger to their neighbouring states, it is used as a miltary detterent to strengthen
allies.
 4. Decreasing possession/ Reduction of nuclear weapons:
The United States is ‘for’ the issue of decreasing possession. During the Cold War, we relied on
explosive testing to verify designs in the nuclear arsenal, in part due to a lack of thorough scientific
understanding of the materials and physics involved. The United States conducted 1030 nuclear tests
between 1945 and 1992, significantly more than any other country.

All of the existing US nuclear weapon designs were validated with full-scale, explosive underground
tests, which ended only after the Soviet Union fell apart and the successful negotiation of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in the 1990s. The CTBT helped define post-Cold War
nuclear tranquility, during which the United States and Russia drastically reduced the number of
warheads in their stockpiles and discontinued research of new designs.

Despite the fact that the US Senate did not ratify the CTBT, the US has abided by its conditions.
Instead, we remain one of the fundamental stumbling blocks to its implementation. Many countries
that have not yet ratified the pact are likely to do so swiftly if the United States takes the lead. Despite
not being technically bound by the CTBT's provisions, the US adjusted its strategy to researching and
confirming the stockpile's security following the termination of testing.

5. Prohibition on the sales, transfer and trafficking of radioactive substances/elements:

The Unites States is for the issue of prohibition on the sales, transfer and trafficking of radioactive
substances.

The beginning of 1960s, nuclear weapons had potential to become widespread. For international
lawmakers, the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology meant numerous things. The doctrine of
deterrence could be reasonably maintained while the only countries capable of nuclear strike were the
United States, its close ally Britain, and the Soviet Union but because both sides of the Cold War
possessed huge weapons of weapons and the potential of retaliating after being struck, any strike
would almost certainly have resulted in mutually assured destruction, and so there remained a
significant incentive for any state to avoid beginning a nuclear war.

Furthermore, if countries with volatile border conflicts gained the ability to attack with nuclear
weapons, the likelihood of a nuclear war with genuinely global ramifications grew. This also made
nuclear states hesitant to share nuclear technology with poorer countries, even technology that could
be utilized for harmless purposes. All of these issues fueled international interest in a nuclear non-
proliferation pact that would aid in the prevention of nuclear weapon proliferation.

The final treaty included several clauses aimed at restraining the spread of nuclear weapons
technology. To begin, the nuclear signatories committed not to transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear
weapons technology to any other country. Second, the non-nuclear states pledged not to receive,
develop, or acquire nuclear weapons. All signatories committed to abide by the International Atomic
Energy Agency's (IAEA) anti-proliferation safeguards. The treaty's signatories also pledged to work
together to develop peaceful nuclear technology and to continue negotiations to help end the nuclear
arms race and limit the spread of the technology.

6. Promotion of nuclear energy with conjunction to 2030 Sustainable Development Goals:

The United Sates is ‘for’ the promotion of nuclear energy with conjunction to 2030 sustainable
development goals. The United States of America believes that in order to ensure a sustainable future
for the coming generations, we must ensure the long-term use of nuclear energy for the sake of
industry and technological innovation. We also believe that nuclear energy should be used responsibly
for the consumption and production of resources that will sustain future generations, thus aligning
with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Development Goal for Climate Action, Affordable and clean energy

Nuclear energy is good for the environment. - According to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the
United States will save more than 471 million metric tons of CO2 by 2020. That is the equivalent of
taking 100 million automobiles off the road, and it is greater than all other sustainable energy sources
combined. It also cleans the air by removing thousands of tons of dangerous air pollutants per year,
which contribute to acid rain, smog, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Nuclear energy generates very little waste- The NICE Future Initiative is a global effort led by the
Clean Energy Ministerial to ensure that nuclear is taken into account when designing advanced clean
energy systems of the future.

Renewable energy source- nuclear power is the most important source of clean energy in the United
States. Every year, it creates about 800 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, accounting for more than
half of the nation's emissions-free electricity. This saves more than 470 million metric tons of CO2
per year, which is equivalent to taking 100 million automobiles off the road.
Sustainable Development Goal for Technology, innovation and Infrastructure

Generates employment- The nuclear sector employs about 500,000 people in the United States and
contributes an estimated $60 billion to the country's GDP each year. Nuclear power stations in the
United States can employ up to 700 people at incomes that are 30% more than the area average. They
also provide billions of dollars to local economies each year in the form of federal and state tax
income.

Contributes to national security- A robust civilian nuclear sector is critical to American national
security and energy diplomacy. To influence the peaceful use of nuclear technologies, the United
States must continue its worldwide leadership in this sector. In this capacity, the US government
works with countries to cultivate relationships and new prospects for the nation's nuclear
technologies.