Towards an Achievable WMDFZ Treaty for the Middle East: Insights from Civil Society

Abstract

Establishing a Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction-Free-Zone (WMDFZ) in the Middle East is a decades-old ambition. The idea of establishing “The Zone” has been regularly re-addressed at the United Nations and in forums like the NPT Review Conferences. This article contributes to that process by exploring possible pathways to a working and sustainable treaty crafted for the region. We argue that such a treaty could be achievable through a binding legal umbrella document that would cover all points defined by states in previous resolutions. We analyse some elements for such a treaty by highlighting core elements that negotiations should face in their discussions. For that, we build on a series of discussions and round tables previously held by the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), a civil society organisation, with diplomats and experts, since 2014. The civil society track offered valuable contributions to an inclusive process, as well as a relevant case study for future research on how civil society can contribute to non-proliferation and disarmament negotiations.

Keywords

• WMDFZ
• Middle East
• METO
• disarmament
• nuclear weapons
• track 1.5 diplomacy