The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has made important strides in limiting the spread of nuclear weapons. However, as currently constructed, the treaty has a loophole that enables states to create many parts of a useable weapon so long as they are not assembling the final product. In a blog for Council for a Livable World, Julia Zacher and CERL Executive Board member Jules Zacher explain that the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s 2019 General Comment No. 36 states that the proliferation of nuclear weapons is in direct opposition to the right to life, which is laid out in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This analysis could be used to close some of the existing non-proliferation loopholes. 

Jules Zacher, P.C., is a board chair for the Council for a Livable World and is a member of CERL’s Executive Board. Read his bio here. 

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.