The Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons took place from 3 to 7 March 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin of Kazakhstan serving as President.
The Treaty’s 73 States Parties adopted a political declaration condemning the growing reliance on deterrence in Europe and Asia, and asserting that nuclear deterrence heightens the risk of nuclear war rather than prevents it. Nuclear weapons are a threat to “the existence of all states, irrespective of whether they possess nuclear weapons, subscribe to nuclear deterrence or firmly oppose it”, the declaration stated.
The meeting also saw the adoption of a series of decisions which establishes the substantive programme of work that will be taken forward under the treaty ahead of the TPNW’s first Review Conference, scheduled for 30 November to 4 December 2026 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The UK is not a State Party to the TPNW and did not take up the offer made to all states to attend the meeting as an Observer. Ahead of the meeting, UNA-UK joined others to call for the UK to attend the meeting in order to listen and learn from those affected by British nuclear testing.
UNA-UK had a productive week, working with diplomats and civil society to push forward work on nuclear disarmament, participating in side-events , attending plenary sessions, and talking with people from communities who suffer the lasting impacts of nuclear weapons.
Affected Communities at 3MSP
This year marked the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima; two events that continue to shape the global dialogue on nuclear disarmament. With Kazakhstan serving as the president of 3MSP - a nation which continues to be affected by the devastating legacy of Soviet nuclear testing - the forum provided a platform to amplify the voices of those who have directly suffered the impacts of nuclear weapons. Members of affected communities overcame visa restrictions and poor health to travel and share their stories, offering firsthand accounts throughout the week of the enduring impacts of nuclear weapons while underscoring the urgent need for action. Their testimonies were a powerful reminder of the human cost of militarism and the critical importance of disarmament, non-proliferation and a universal ban on testing to prevent further suffering.
Taraem Taukaro - an islander from Kiritimati (Christmas Island), shared her family's account of British and US nuclear weapons tests:
The nuclear tests were a terrifying and deeply unsettling experience. They were repeatedly ordered to vacate their homes in the dead of night[...]Even with their eyes tightly shut and covered with thick blankets, the blinding flashes of light still penetrated”.
Taraem went on to describe the persistent consequences of these tests within her family: “My elder sister was born deaf, and when her condition worsens, she experiences severe headaches”. Other speakers raised the issue of psychological effect on islanders, the environmental cost to the land and presence of diseases in the community consistent with exposure to ionising radiation.
Kiribati’s Ambassador to the UN, Teburoro Tito, told a packed room of delegates:
We are yet to understand the true damages caused by these nuclear tests”.
Karina Lester, a Yankunytjatjara-Anangu woman and second-generation survivor of UK nuclear testing, recounted that Indigenous people in Australia began experiencing symptoms such as skin rashes, vomiting, and blindness within less than 24 hours, along with other long-term medical issues, after exposure. Ambassador Silk said that the lasting impacts of nuclear weapons testing “are our present reality and our future too” and Ambassador Rakhmetullin remarked that nuclear weapons “have left generations of communities devastated”. A member of the Hibakusha said that in the immediate aftermath of the bomb, “the living envied the dead”.
In an interview with UNA-UK, Ambassador Tito said that he is “pleased the UK cleanup took place” but that “it was all done on the one side without us (the Kiribati community) being involved”. He added that “at present there are many, many issues with health and a lot of people suspect this has to do with the nuclear tests…It's terrible to live under these kinds of doubts". Mr Tito ended by calling for UK cooperation alongside Kiribati scientists for a new independent study which “must be neutral and independent of politics.”
Outcomes
Mapping out the next phase of nuclear disarmament
The 3MSP approved its report and a series of decisions addressing key issues such as the intersessional structure, the international trust fund for victim assistance and environmental remediation, and the review process for renewing the mandate and terms of reference for the Scientific Advisory Group. States parties adopted a strong political declaration, unequivocally rejecting nuclear deterrence as a legitimate security strategy, and reaffirming that nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to all states, regardless of their stance on nuclear weapons, ultimately highlighting the unified stance of states parties.
The South African presidency of the Review Conference of the TPNW is significant due to the country’s historical role in nuclear disarmament. South Africa is the only country to voluntarily dismantle its nuclear weapons program, setting a powerful precedent for non-proliferation and disarmament.
Trust fund for victim assistance and environmental remediation
Discussions on advancing the proposed trust fund to support communities affected by nuclear weapons continued and were welcomed by affected communities. However, the adopted decision is steeped in caveats, only going so far as to say “the aim of establishing, if feasible, such a trust fund at the first Review Conference”.
This language and the prospect of delaying the creation of the trust fund could be damaging to those communities directly affected by nuclear weapons and their testing. While the intention to establish the trust fund is a step forward, the vague language and the delay in work for its creation could have detrimental consequences for communities already suffering from the long-lasting impacts of nuclear weapons and their testing. The harm caused by these weapons is not something that can be postponed - it is a pressing issue that demands immediate action, both in terms of remediation and compensation.
Delaying the establishment of the trust fund means that affected communities, who continue to face health, environmental, and social challenges, will be left without the necessary resources to address these enduring consequences. Given the urgency of their situation, it is crucial that work begins now to ensure that funding and assistance are provided as quickly as possible. Civil society has long advocated for such support and there is significant potential for these communities to take the lead in driving this effort.
Inclusion of nuclear-affected communities in decision making
The outcomes of 3MSP were driven by active involvement of nuclear-affected communities, who stressed the urgent need for action to address the long-term impacts of nuclear weapons. The adopted declaration reaffirmed a commitment to “to continue collaborating through an inclusive approach with all States, international organizations, parliamentarians, civil society, scientists, financial institutions, youth, and affected communities, including Indigenous Peoples.”
Throughout side-event and plenary discussions, it was evident that these agendas cannot move forward effectively without the inclusion of nuclear affected communities at the forefront of discussion and debate. However, for years they have been sidelined due to many factors, with representatives of the Nuclear Truth Project highlighting for example the difficulty in their participation when resources are not available in local or indigenous languages. Moreover, affected communities are often ‘used and abused’ for research programs and journalism.
Throughout 3MSP, their voices called for a truly inclusive approach, ensuring affected communities are part of the decision-making process and it was compelling to see the importance of their involvement recognised by states parties.
The UK’s missed opportunity
86 counties participated in the meeting as states parties or observers, actively engaging in productive debate throughout the week. Instead of listening to survivors, UK diplomats boycotted the 3MSP, and in the week leading up to the meeting, Minister Catherine West dismissed the ongoing impacts of UK nuclear tests, claiming remediation was completed in 2008 and no further assessments are planned.
This position is morally and legally indefensible. The UK has never apologised or compensated those affected by its nuclear tests and continues to ignore overwhelming evidence of ongoing harm. Meanwhile, collective opposition to nuclear weapons will continue to guide the implementation of the Treaty and drive efforts to advance the TPNW, as states parties move forward with vital remediation programs in an increasingly dangerous world. UNA-UK will work with the Kiribati community to raise awareness and push the UK to reconsider its stance on this critical issue.
We call on the UK to engage with the TPNW and its programs on victim assistance, environmental remediation and international cooperation ahead of the Review Conference in 2026.
Read more:
- UNA-UK's briefing on The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- Dr Becky Alexis-Martin's blog on addressing the harmful legacy of British nuclear testing in Kiritimati
Photo: TPNW Third Meeting of States Parties - Opening. Credit: ICAN
