The 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) concluded on Friday, May 22, 2026, without the adoption of a final document, revealing deep divisions among the 191 states parties.
The conference, held at the United Nations in New York, was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It began on August 1, 2022, and was extended to August 26, 2022, but also failed to reach consensus at that time. The 2026 session similarly ended without agreement.
Key disagreements centered on nuclear disarmament commitments, the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, and the role of nuclear deterrence. States parties expressed frustration over the lack of progress on disarmament obligations under Article VI of the treaty.
The NPT, which entered into force in 1970, is reviewed every five years. The failure to adopt a final document marks the third consecutive review conference without consensus, following 2015 and 2022.
