441-01152 (Foreign affairs)

Canada is deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and has long been committed to achieving a world free from nuclear weapons.

Canada recognizes that the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) reflects well-founded concerns about the slow pace of nuclear disarmament – concerns that Canada very much shares.

While not a party to the TPNW, Canada has common ground with Treaty states and shares the ultimate goal of a world free from nuclear weapons. For this reason, Canada remains steadfast in advancing implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) across its three mutually re-enforcing pillars (non-proliferation, disarmament, peaceful uses of nuclear energy).

Canada is deeply disappointed that Russia blocked consensus at the August 2022 NPT Review Conference, and that it has failed to accept responsibility for the grave situation around Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. However, NPT states parties largely reaffirmed the validity and integrity of the Treaty, and the draft conference outcome document is good groundwork for further cooperation and progress amidst a challenging global environment.

Additionally, Canada deeply regrets Russia’s February 2023 announcement that it will suspend its participation in the US-Russia New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). Canada calls for it to return to compliance with the Treaty and resume dialogue with the United States.

Cross-regional groups to which Canada belongs – such as the Stockholm Initiative for Nuclear Disarmament and the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative – put forward pragmatic proposals on disarmament, risk reduction, transparency, and reporting, and other measures that garnered widespread support at the Review Conference. Canada will work tirelessly to advance this work and uphold the NPT as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime.

Canada’s focus is on initiatives that bring together nuclear and non-nuclear armed states. These include notably: commencing long overdue negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, advocating the entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, building global capacity for disarmament verification, and promoting a more inclusive approach to disarmament and non-proliferation.