Resources

This page collates diplomatic statements, conference reports and other articles on the theme of irreversibility in nuclear disarmament.

Diplomatic statements

Joint statement by Australia, Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, Norway the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom (2024). Joint Statement on Irreversibility. 2024 NPT Preparatory Committee. 

Joint statement by UK, Norway and Mexico (2023). The principle of irreversibility in nuclear disarmament. 2023 NPT Preparatory Committee. 

Working Paper submitted by the UK and Norway (2021). Irreversibility in the context of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: recommendations for the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty. 2020 NPT Review Conference NPT/CONF.2020/WP.16. 

Conference reports

Wilton Park (2024). Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament 2024

Wilton Park (2023). Moving forward on Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament. 

Wilton Park (2022). Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament.

Special editions of the Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament published by Nagasaki University

‘Irreversibility in Global Nuclear Politics I’

Hassan Elbahtimy (2023). Approaching Irreversibility in Global Nuclear Politics. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 6(2), 199–217.

Nick Ritchie. (2023). Irreversibility and Nuclear Disarmament: Unmaking Nuclear Weapon Complexes. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 6(2), 218–243. 

Joseph Rodgers  & Heather Williams. (2023). The Irreversibility Paradox: What Makes for Enduring Arms Control and Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 6(2), 244–262. 

Hassan Elbahtimy & Ross Peel (2023). Nuclear Weapons Production Complexes in a Disarmed World. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 6(2), 263–291. 

Alberto Muti, Grant Christopher & Noel Stott (2023). The Role of Verification in Supporting Irreversible Nuclear Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 6(2), 292–302.

Thomas Hajnoczi (2023). Legal Reflections on the Irreversibility of Nuclear Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 6(2), 303–309. 

‘Irreversibility in Global Nuclear Politics II: Empirical Insights’

Korda, M., & Johns, E. (2024). The Effectiveness of Halting Measures in Constraining North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(1), 8–26. 

Woolf, A. F. (2024). Irreversibility in Nuclear Arms Control: Lessons from the US-Soviet/Russian Arms Control Process. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 1–14.

Pretorius, J. (2024). Staying the Course: Lessons from South Africa for Irreversibility of Nuclear Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(1), 41–59. 

Kassenova, T. (2024). Kazakhstan’s Irreversible Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(1), 60–70.

‘Irreversibility in Global Nuclear Politics III: Applications’

Bandarra, L., Mayhew, N., & Göttsche, M. (2024). The IAEA and Irreversibility: Addressing Political, Institutional, and Technological Verification Challenges in Former Nuclear-Armed States. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2), 302–321. 

Hibbs, M. (2024). Irreversible Disarmament and Verification: Guidance from IAEA Safeguards. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2), 322–332. 

Wingo, H. (2024). Workshop Report: IAEA Safeguards and the Irreversibility of Nuclear Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2), 333–343. 

Pilat, J. F. (2024). Toward Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament: The Role of Transparency Measures. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 1–6.

Haggag, K. (2024). Seeing Through a “Nuclear” Glass Darkly: Envisioning Irreversible Nuclear Disarmament in the Middle East. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2), 350–374. https://doi.org/10.1080/25751654.2024.2435688

Buis, E. J. (2024). Latin American Approaches to Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2), 375–384. 

Walker, J. (2024). Lessons from the Chemical Weapons Convention Negotiations and Implementation for the Diplomatic Challenges of Negotiating ‘Irreversibility.’ Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2) 1–7. 

Tzinieris, S. (2024). AUKUS and the Digger Wasp: Understanding Irreversibility Through the Sunk Cost Fallacy. Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, 7(2), 392–412. 

Other articles and reports

Heather Williams, Jessica Link, Joseph Rodgers (2023). Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington, D.C. 

Dieter Fleck (2023). Irreversibility in nuclear arms control and disarmament law? Journal of Conflict & Security Law. 28(3), 423–466.

William Walker (2020). On Nuclear Embeddedness and (Ir)reversibility: A Working Paper. Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University.

Andreas Persbo (2024). Latent Nuclear Power, Hedging, and Irreversibility. In Nuclear Latency and Nuclear Hedging: Concepts, History and Issues, ed. Joseph Pilat (Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 2019), 43-72.

IPNDV (2018). Food-for-Thought Paper: Achieving Irreversibility in Nuclear Disarmament. 

Toby Dalton, Wyatt Hoffman, Ariel Levite, Li Bin, George Perkovich, and Tong Zhao (2017). Toward a Nuclear Firewall: Bridging the NPT’s Three Pillars. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C.

Ben Sims and Christopher Henke (2012). Repairing Credibility: Repositioning Nuclear Weapons Knowledge After the Cold War. Social Studies of Science, 42(3), 324-347.

John Walker (2012). Potential Proliferation Pointers from the Past: Lessons from the British Nuclear Weapons Program, 1952–69. The Nonproliferation Review, 19(1), 109–123. 

David Cliff, Hassan Elbahtimy, and Andreas Persbo (2011). Irreversibility in nuclear disarmament: Practical steps against nuclear rearmament. VERTIC, London.

Legal Opinion prepared for Greenpeace UK by Philippe Sands QC and Helen Law. (2006). The United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent: Current and Future Issues of Legality.  Matrix Chambers.