Dr. Aslı VAROL
You must be active in nuclear diplomacy, if you do not
expect a solution from a promising group on nuclear activities for our planet,
as in Amin Maalouf’s latest novel “Nos frères inattendus*”.
Nuclear diplomacy is
critical to a sustainable future.
The use of nuclear energy has
military, political, economic and environmental dimensions. Nuclear energy plays a role in ensuring
peace and security in the world, in energy transformation and in increasing the
use of clean energy. For
this reason, it is a fact that nuclear diplomacy will be needed more in order
to manage nuclear relations in the global arena.
Nuclear
diplomacy, which has been dealing with nuclear weapons especially since the
Second World War, has gained new dimensions today due to the effects of the
climate crisis and the necessity of energy transformation. It is possible to
talk about three dimensions of nuclear diplomacy: non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons and nuclear disarmament, peaceful use of nuclear energy, and
emphasizing the importance of nuclear energy in environmental governance to
mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear
Disarmament
Possession of
nuclear weapons provides a strong position in the international arena. Because, nuclear weapons have a deterrent effect. Especially in the post-World War II period, the
nuclear arms race gained momentum in the international arena. Various efforts have been made to prevent this arms
race.
The Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as a worldwide treaty aimed that
non-proliferation, was opened for signature in 1968 and entered into force in
1970. On 11 May 1995 the Treaty was extended indefinitely. The purpose of the NPT is to prevent the proliferation
of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the
peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to advance the goal of nuclear
disarmament. A total of 191 States participated in the NPT,
including five nuclear-armed States. This treaty
forbids all signatories to possess or acquire nuclear weapons, with the
exception of the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, and the United States.
The NPT defines “a nuclear-weapon State is one which has
manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive
device prior to 1 January 1967” (United Nations, 1968). These
states are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
All other states are non-nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty. NPT basically
stands on three main pillars. These are nonproliferation, the peaceful use of
nuclear energy, and disarmament.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons (TPNW) was accepted at the
193-member UN General Assembly on 7 July 2017 with the approval of 122
countries and opened for signature on 20 September 2020 (United Nations,
2017). Despite the opposition of nuclear power
countries such as the USA, Russia and China, this treaty, which was opened for
signature, aims to destroy nuclear weapons all over the world and to ban new
ones. The Treaty on
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
the first international treaty to ban nuclear weapons, required 50 countries’
commitments not to develop, test, manufacture, acquire or stockpile nuclear
weapons under any circumstances. Honduras became the 50th country to sign the treaty on 24 October 2020.
90 days after Honduras' ratification, this first international treaty banning
nuclear weapons entered into force. The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, France,
India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, as the nuclear weapons states, did
not sign the treaty. On the
other hand, although Japan suffered great damage from nuclear weapons in the
war, the Japanese government did not sign this treaty.
However, Japan continues to make
commitments to global nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation initiatives. It is also seen that the new prime minister of Japan
advocated nuclear disarmament. Japan must advance in nuclear diplomacy on two issues: managing its
relations with its nuclear-powered neighbors and signing and ratifying the
TPNW. More broadly, Japan
should balance its diplomatic relations with its nuclear-powered neighbors
China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, and sign and ratify the TPNW.
In this context, Japan should not
jeopardize its relations with China due to the recent tensions between China
and Taiwan. Japan has also recently shown its
willingness to make diplomatic efforts between the US and Iran to return Iran
to the nuclear deal. As it
is understood, Japan wants to act together with its alliance partner, the USA,
for nuclear disarmament and ensuring regional security in the Middle East.
In this case, Japan should use
nuclear diplomacy in order not to put its relations with Russia, a nuclear
power state, into crisis.
In the last decade the nuclear
diplomacy activities of the USA, especially with Iran and North Korea, have
been placed on the world agenda as non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. As it is known, former US President Trump and North Korean
leader Kim Jong-un met for the first time in Singapore in June 2018. At this meeting, an agreement was reached
on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of
lasting peace. The two
leaders met once again in Hanoi in February 2019. However, this summit was
short-lived and ended without a deal. Then, on June 30, 2019, Trump and Kim Jong-un met in the
demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and decided to continue the
nuclear negotiation process. Working-level
meetings between the United States and North Korea, held in Sweden in October
2019, ended after North Korea claimed that the United States was maintaining
its old attitudes and stances. President Biden’s administration, on the other hand, expresses its
willingness to resume diplomatic relations with North Korea. However, it is clear that whether
Washington will continue with diplomacy for the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula will be determined by the attitude of the Pyongyang administration.
The Biden administration, at the same time, is taking a positive stance
to lift sanctions against Iran, which was initiated during the Trump era, and
to revive the Iran nuclear deal. However, in order to ensure this, the USA
imposes the precondition of withdrawing Iran’s nuclear activities to the
previously agreed level.
As it is known, a deal was signed in 2015 between Iran and the USA,
China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK on the regulation and supervision of
the nuclear activities of the Tehran administration. However, in 2018, US President Trump
withdrew from the deal and started to impose sanctions on Iran again.
The US shows that it is ready for dialogue and negotiation with Iran. However, the
US still states that if diplomacy fails, other options will be considered. In this
process, Israel also states that losing time in the negotiations caused Iran to
continue its nuclear program.
At the press conference
after the G-20 Summit in Rome, the US President Biden, about their meeting with
the leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany and France on Iran's nuclear
program, said that “We came together to reiterate our shared belief that
diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and
discussed how best to encourage Iran to resume serious good faith negotiations”
(Wintour, 2021).
Pakistan continues to be an important stakeholder in
nuclear diplomacy. Pakistan maintains its commitment to non-proliferation and
practices responsible nuclear diplomacy. Since Pakistan became a nuclear weapon
state, Pakistan’s nuclear diplomacy has been practiced on the principles of
restraint and responsibility. As it is known, the reason why Pakistan had
nuclear weapons was to ensure its own security in response to the threat of its
neighbor India. However, Pakistan opted to stay out of the developing nuclear arms
race in South Asia. Pakistan seeks to
encourage the international community to develop consensus on nuclear weapons
control and disarmament through nuclear diplomacy. At the plenary meeting of
the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva in June 2020, Pakistan expressed its
concerns about nuclear disarmament. Pakistan has set
an eleven-point roadmap to build a global consensus on non-proliferation. It is also a fact that Pakistan’s nuclear diplomacy
and efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons are accepted (Bano,
2020).
Peaceful
Use of Nuclear Energy
Limiting the use
of nuclear energy due to armament concerns is an obstacle for countries that
want to invest in nuclear energy. Countries have to consider nuclear energy
while creating new energy policies for clean energy transformation. However, while
countries create new energy policies for clean energy transformation, they may
be exposed to international pressure when they include nuclear energy in their
energy mix. To overcome this international pressure, nuclear diplomacy must
work to promote the use of nuclear for peaceful and environmental purposes.
Collaboration with the IAEA is required within the
framework of the NPT principles to ensure the development of the use of nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes. In cases where
nuclear energy will not be converted into explosives and will be used for industrial
investments, this cooperation should be ensured between states, the private
sector and international organizations. However,
nuclear explosions are used in large construction and technology projects. These explosions are non-military explosions. Nuclear energy is needed in different sectors. In this context, states and multinational companies
should convince the international community that nuclear energy is necessary to
develop a country's production and infrastructure when environmental and safety
control is ensured.
The
Importance of Nuclear Diplomacy in Environmental Governance
Energy targets
today and in the future should aim to achieve zero emissions to mitigate the
effects of climate change. In order to
increase the use of clean energy, renewable energy and nuclear energy should be
included in the energy mix instead of coal energy. In
this context, energy policies that encourage nuclear energy along with wind and
solar energy should be established while exiting coal energy.
Biden administration is decisive to fight climate
crisis. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal’s more than $65
billion investment, as
the largest investment
in clean energy transmission and the electric grid in American history, proves this ambition. With this investment, the US
aims to upgrade its energy infrastructure to facilitate the expansion of
renewable energy. The US is investing in demonstration projects and
research centers for next-generation technologies such as advanced nuclear
reactors, carbon capture and clean hydrogen (The White
House, 2021).
After the earthquake in Japan in 2011 and the nuclear disaster at the
Fukushima nuclear power plant due to the tsunami that occurred after the
earthquake, the sensitivity regarding the safety of nuclear power plants became
evident in diplomatic relations. Countries
have started to monitor each other's nuclear activities more closely. On the other hand, environmental
organizations are concerned about nuclear waste. However, experts state that the storage of spent nuclear fuels in water
pools has been practiced safely for a long time in every country. As it is known, the waste nuclear fuel pool
in the nuclear facility, which was damaged in Japan due to the earthquake and
tsunami, had approached the boiling point and the radiation hazard had created
fear.
Dialogue between
states and non-state actors needs to be strengthened in discussions on the
environmental and human health effects of nuclear energy. The high cost of nuclear energy is another matter of
discussion. In the fight against the climate crisis, the share allocated to
nuclear energy is requested to be transferred to renewable energy. Against this, The World Nuclear Association and IAEA
emphasize that nuclear energy has an important role in the fight against the
climate crisis.
The World
Nuclear Association states that the panel under COP26 emphasized “Nuclear a
vital tool in achieving decarbonisation”. Nuclear
power is the world’s second largest source of low-carbon electricity today and
is an established and reliable technology for many countries (World Nuclear
Association). According to the IAEA special report “Nuclear Energy for a Net
Zero World”, “Nuclear energy is key to achieving global net zero objectives,
working in partnership with renewable energy sources and other low carbon
options, as part of a sustainable energy system to decarbonize electricity and
non-electric energy production.
Many nations opt for nuclear energy to meet their climate
objectives, and uptake by countries is increasing” (IAEA, 2021).
In the
energy transformation necessary to combat the climate crisis, carbon-free
nuclear energy is positioned alongside wind and solar energy. On the other
hand, the transition to nuclear energy is also criticized negatively due to the
high investment cost and the risks associated with nuclear facilities. Nuclear
diplomacy needs to be carried out in a multi-stakeholder manner in the global
arena in order to turn negative opinions into positive aspects in this
dimension. The interests and concerns of all stakeholders should be taken into
account in creating the most correct energy mix for the future of our planet.
* Amin Maalouf, “Empedokles’in Dostları (Nos frères inattendus)”,
Translation: Ali Berktay, First
Edition, Yapı Kredi, Istanbul,
2021.
References
Akimoto, Daisuke (2020): “What is the Future of Japan’s Nuclear Diplomacy?”, The Diplomat, March 31,
2020, https://thediplomat.com/2020/03/what-is-the-future-of-japans-nuclear-diplomacy/.
Bano, Sher (2020):
“Pakistan’s Nuclear Diplomacy: Commitment Towards Non-Proliferation”, Modern Diplomacy, September
14, 2020, https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/09/14/pakistans-nuclear-diplomacy-commitment-towards-non-proliferation/.
IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) (2021):
“Nuclear Energy for a Net Zero World”, Vienna, September, 2021, https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/21/10/nuclear-energy-for-a-net-zero-world.pdf.
The White
House (2021): “Fact
Sheet: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Boosts Clean Energy Jobs, Strengthens
Resilience, and Advances Environmental Justice”, November 08, 2021,
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/08/fact-sheet-the-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal-boosts-clean-energy-jobs-strengthens-resilience-and-advances-environmental-justice/.
United Nations (1968): “Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)”, https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/text/.
United Nations (2017): “Treaty on the Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons”, United Nations General Assembly, A/CONF.229/2017/8, https://undocs.org/A/CONF.229/2017/8.
Wintour, Patrick
(2021): “US would only quit Iran nuclear deal if Tehran were to renege, Biden
pledges”, The Guardian, 31 Oct 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/31/us-iran-nuclear-deal-tehran-joe-biden-pledge.
World
Nuclear Association (2021): “Nuclear
a vital tool in achieving decarbonisation, panel says”, 05 November
2021, https://world-nuclear.org/wnn-climate-change-news/wnn-nuclear-a-vital-tool-in-achieving-decarbonisat.aspx.
