NUCLEAR

PROLIFERATION
…
Hello!

 D. J. Weerasekara -DS/20/B/69/E
 Saduni Nipunika -DS/20/B/09/E
 Dasuni De Silva -DS/20/B/35/E
 Kusali Rupasinghe -DS/20/B/43/E

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 “It is such a supreme folly to believe that
“ nuclear weapons are deadly only if they are
used” – Arundhati Roy

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Content.
◦ History

◦ Current scenario

◦ Pros and cons

◦ Nuclear-non proliferation, Nuclear diplomacy

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1
Beginnings of the Nuclear
Bomb

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Timeline

First International Treaty

First Atomic Bombs Are The Cuban Missile to Prevent Spread of North Korea Withdraws The United Nations
USA tests its first India Joins the Nuclear Adopts Nuclear
Dropped on Hiroshima thermonuclear bomb Crisis Threatens Nuclear Weapons Is From the Nonproliferation
Club Weapons Ban Treaty
and Nagasaki in the Pacific Nuclear War Signed Treaty

1938 1945 1949 1952 1957 1962 1967 1968 1972 1974 1997 2003 2015 2017

Soviet Union tested  IAEA Is Created First Nuclear-Weapon- SALT I Treaty Is The IAEA’s Model World Powers Reach
The Nuclear Age its first atomic Additional Protocol
 Kyshtym Nuclear Free Zone Is Established Signed a Nuclear Agreement
Begins bomb is Introduced
Disaster Occurs In With Iran
Secret

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1930s

◦ 1933 - The scientist Leo Szilard theorizes about the possibility of a chain reaction of
neutron collisions to release energy.

◦ 1939 –
■ Niels Bohr announce to the public that fission has been discovered.

■ Einstein signed a letter to the then President of the US Franklin

Roosevelt warning him of the potential of this new discovery to create an
incredibly powerful bomb.
■ Britain had already begun a nuclear research project named "Tube
Alloys”
■ This was later merged into the Manhattan Project which was a joint effort
between the US, Canada and Britain.

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1940s

◦ 16th of July 1945 – Manhattan Project's first nuclear weapons test "Trinity" took place.

◦ 1945 - Hiroshima & Nagasaki Bombings (First and only use of nuclear weapons in an armed
conflict)

◦ 1946 August 1 - President Harry S. Truman signs the Atomic Energy Act.

◦ 1949 August 29 - Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb (RDS 1)

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The Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki

◦ Hiroshima - 6th August 1945

◦ Nagasaki - 9th August 1945

◦ When the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end
of World War II, 110,000-210,000 people were instantly killed. Japan surrendered in
the days that followed.

◦ More deaths followed over time due to radiation exposure.

◦ These two are the only instances where nuclear weapons were used.

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◦ Hiroshima ◦ Nagasaki

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1940s

◦ 16th of July 1945 – Manhattan Project's first nuclear weapons test "Trinity" took place.

◦ 1945 - Hiroshima & Nagasaki Bombings (First and only use of nuclear weapons in an armed
conflict)

◦ 1946 August 1 - President Harry S. Truman signs the Atomic Energy Act.

◦ 1949 August 29 - Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb (RDS 1)

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1950s

◦ 3 October 1952 -UK tests its first nuclear weapon in Australia. (Operational Hurricane)
◦ November 1, 1952 - The US tests its first hydrogen bomb "Ivy Mike"

◦ 1957 July 29 - the establishment of The International Atomic Energy Agency.

◦ 1957 September 29 - Kyshtym Nuclear Disaster Occurs In Secret.

◦ 1959 October 31 - The U.S. deploys the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile
(ICBM), the Atlas D.

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Nuclear Weapons
o Fission Weapon o Fusion Weapon
A mass of fissile material enriched with uranium or Nuclear fusion is the reaction in which two or more nuclei
plutonium is assembled into a supercritical mass. combine, forming a new element with a higher atomic
▫ Atomic bomb number. It is thousand times more powerful than fission
bombs.
• The bombs dropped on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. (" Little Boy" and " ▫ Thermonuclear bomb/
Fat Man“)
Hydrogen bomb/ H- bomb
• Only six countries which are allowed to
possess hydrogen bombs. (United States,
Russia, United Kingdom, People's
Republic of China, France, and India)

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

◦ It was created in 1972 July 29th with the mission of promoting

and overseeing the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

ARTICLE II of the Statute of IAEA (Objectives)

“The Agency shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace,
health and prosperity throughout the world. It shall ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance
provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to
further any military purpose.”

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1950s

◦ 3 October 1952 -UK tests its first nuclear weapon in Australia. (Operational Hurricane)
◦ November 1, 1952 - The US tests its first hydrogen bomb "Ivy Mike"

◦ 1957 July 29 - the establishment of The International Atomic Energy Agency.

◦ 1957 September 29 - Kyshtym Nuclear Disaster Occurs In Secret.

◦ 1959 October 31 - The U.S. deploys the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile
(ICBM), the Atlas D.

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1960s

◦ 13th February 1960 - France successfully tested their first nuclear weapon codenamed
"Gerboise Bleue"
◦ Cuban missile Crisis on October 16th to 28th ,1962.
◦ China successfully detonated their first nuclear bomb in October 13 th 1964. (Project
596)
◦ 1963 August 5 - limited Test Ban Treaty signed by US, USSR and UK
◦ First Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Is Established in February 14, 1967.
◦ 1967 June 17 - first hydrogen bomb tested by the Chinese.
◦ Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was signed in July 1st
1968.

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Non-Proliferation Treaty.

◦ The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was created in 1967 in response to the growing threat of
nuclear weapon detonation.

◦ Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), signed in July 1968 and entered
into force in 1970.

◦ Was originally in force for 25 years, but was extended indefinitely in 1995

◦ The NPT is undeniably the most important and successful multilateral arms control agreement
yet implemented and the one most widely adhered to.

◦ 191 States Parties – India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan, all of which have nuclear
weapons, are notable non-members.

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Non-Proliferation Treaty. (Cont.)

◦ North Korea is the only State Party to withdraw from the NPT, in 2003.

◦ USA, Russia, China, France, UK are the only Treaty-recognized NWS (Nuclear
Weapon States)

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1970s

◦ SALT I Treaty Is Signed in May 26th 1972.

◦ May 18, 1974 - India detonated their first nuclear bomb.
◦ 1979 June 18- SALT II Treaty is signed in Vienna.
◦ In 1977 Pakistan began its nuclear research program.

1980s to 1990s

◦ April 26th 1986 – Chernobyl Disaster.

◦ October 5, 1986, information about Israel's nuclear project was revealed by the Israeli
whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu.
◦ 1996 September 24 - signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
◦ 28th May 1998 - Pakistan's first public nuclear bomb detonation.

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2000s

◦ In 2005 September 19th North Korea commits to abandoning its nuclear weapons and
programs.

◦ 2006 October 09 - North korea conduted their first nuclear test

2010s

◦ 11th March 2011 - Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

◦ In 2015 July 15th world powers reach a nuclear agreement with Iran.

◦ In 2017 July 17th The United Nations adopts nuclear weapons Ban Treaty.

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Current
Scenario
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13,080
Number of nuclear weapons possesed by
the nine nuclear states.

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Current situation

◦ The number of nuclear weapons in the world has declined significantly since the Cold
War from approximately 70,300 in 1986 to an estimated 13,080 in early-2021.
◦ The nine nuclear-armed states together possessed an estimated 13 080 nuclear
weapons at the start of 2021. This marked a decrease from the 13 400 that was
estimated in 2020.
◦ The estimated number of nuclear weapons currently deployed with operational forces
increased to 3825, from 3720 last year.

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World Nuclear Forces – January 2021

Deployed
Country Other warheads Total 2021 Total 2020
Warheads
USA 1800 3750 5550 5800

Russia 1625 4630 6255 6375

UK 120 105 255 215

France 280 10 290 290

China 350 350 320

Pakistan 156 156 150

Israel 165 165 160

North Korea 90 90 90

Total (40-50) (40-50) 13400

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Nuclear weapons in 1945 and 2020 in comparison
• Estimated yield of nuclear weapons in kilotons
• TBT equivalent

1945 2020

15kt 22kt 455kt 800kt

“Little Boy” “Fat Man” Trident SS
(Hiroshima) (Nagasaki) (SLBM) (ICBM)
United States United States United States Russia

SLBM – Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile

ICBM – Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
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Current situation (Cont.)

◦ Five-year extension of the New START Treaty

(Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) just days
before its expiration by the Biden
administration.

◦ Uranium theft in India

◦ Iran’s nuclear weapons program

▫ Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA)

◦ North Korea

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Pros and cons
of Nuclear
Weapons
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Pros
 Deterrence
• Mutually assured destruction (MAD)
• From 1900 to 1950, for example, one hundred million people died in wars. From 1951 to 2000,
only some twenty million people suffered that same fate.

 Scope of nuclear weapons maneuverability against conventional weapons

 Nuclear weapons helped create new technologies in other sectors.

•  Approximately 10% of the electricity the world uses every year comes from nuclear reactors. 
• Nuclear engines are used on naval crafts and in space travel
• Nuclear medicine - uses small amounts of radioactive material called radiotracers to
diagnose, evaluate, and treat various diseases (cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal,
endocrine, or neurological disorders)

 Nuclear weapons change the power and status of a nation

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Cons
 The possibility that new nations or even terrorist groups will obtain
nuclear weapons.
• Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have either initiated
or advanced their nuclear programs during the past few years.
• Nuclear terrorism- Osama bin Laden once declared it a “religious duty” to
acquire nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons

 The nine nuclear weapon states are in conflict with each other.
• The United States and North Korea, NATO and Russia, India and Pakistan, The
United States and China

 State leaders may act irrationally and initiate a nuclear strike.

• In 2018, the North Korean leader, Kim-Jong-Un had warned the U.S.A saying
that “nuclear button is always on my desk”
• Former U.S. president Donald Trump's attempts to create war mentality among
the American public as part of his reelection strategy.

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Moral and ethical debates about the use of nuclear
weapons.

 Some countries are still dealing with the after-

effects of nuclear weapons testing.
• People who were exposed to the radioactive fallout
suffered from a range of cancers, commonly thyroid
cancer and miscarriages and stillbirths were common.
• Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
• Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

 Nuclear weapons can lead to human extinction,

mass human destruction, or mass environmental
damage
• Many scholars agree it is immoral to detonate a
nuclear weapon due to both short and long-term
catastrophic effects on human race.

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Nuclear Waste

o Radioactive/ Nuclear waste materials, can be harmful to both human health and
the environment.

o Nuclear waste can remain dangerously radioactive for many thousands of years.

o Most of the radioactivity associated with nuclear power remains contained in the
fuel in which it was produced.

o The NRC divides waste from nuclear plants into two categories: high-level and low-
level.
*Most low-level radioactive waste (LLW) is typically sent to land-based
disposal immediately following its packaging for long-term management.

* High-level waste is mostly used fuel.

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Nuclear Waste Disposal Methods

 There are certain standard types of disposing nuclear waste from law-level to high-level.

• Incineration
• Storage
• Shallow Burial
• Deep Burial
• In water
• Recycling
• The Ocean
• Space Disposal
• Seabed Disposal
• Long-term aboveground Storage Bunkers

 In some cases, the aging containers have already begun leaking their toxic contents
putting workers of nuclear sites at immediate risk (Ex; - Hanford site, USA)

 However, a permanent disposal method for radioactive waste haven't been found yet
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Nuclear Non-
Proliferation

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Non - Proliferation Treaties

◦ Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

◦ International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.
◦ Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START I, II, and The New START)
◦ Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
◦ Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (NPNW).

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Military Means
◦ Operation Opera/ Operation Babylon
▫ In 1981, Israel conducted a surprise airstrike on an
unfinished nuclear reactor located in Baghdad,
Iraq
◦ Operation Outside the Box/ Operation Orchard
▫ In 2007, Israel conducted an airstrike on a
suspected nuclear reactor in Deir ez-Zor region of
Syria.

 Stuxnet Virus
▫ In 2010, the then Iranian president Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad claimed that Iran's uranium
enrichment plant at Natanz had been damaged by a
computer virus, later named as the Stuxnet virus.

▫ The United States and Israel are regarded as the

likely culprits

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Nuclear diplomacy

◦ Nuclear Diplomacy is “the interaction among and between international actors (be
they states, international organizations, individuals and transnational non-state
organizations) on nuclear-related issues, actors and interests (be they material or non-
material) to achieve objectives.”

◦ Nuclear diplomacy represents a niche diplomacy for Middle Power countries like UK.

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Thank you…
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 References

◦ https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/

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