Established in 1966, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an independent international institute based in Sweden.
Key Highlights on Nuclear Armament
- Nine nuclear-armed states — US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel — continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals.
- Of total 12,121 nuclear warheads, almost 90% belongs to USA and Russia.
- Global reductions of operational warheads appear to have stalled with China expanding its nuclear arsenal.
- India slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal to 172 in 2023, surpassing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal for first time.
- Along with Israel, India mainly uses Plutonium as fissile material in nuclear weapons.
Challenges to nuclear disarmament
- War in Ukraine has negative impact on bilateral and multilateral engagement on nuclear arms control and raises the concern of nuclear disaster.
- Worsening Russian-US Strategic Relations: Russia suspended its membership of 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) and withdrew its ratification of Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
- Israel-Hamas War: It undermined efforts to initiate Iran’s cooperation with IAEA and engaging Israel in Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Measures taken for Nuclear Disarmament
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