Together with Zia Mian, a researcher at the Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University, Moritz Kütt published an article "Setting the Deadline for Nuclear Weapon Destruction under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons" in the Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament. The work supports the effective implementation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (“Ban Treaty”). As of October 2019, the treaty has 79 signatories and 33 ratifications.
Kütt and Mian outline the processes and issues involved in the dismantlement and destruction of a nuclear weapon. During the first meeting of states parties of the treaty, states will need to consider these issues to set a deadline for the destruction of any nuclear weapons held by nuclear-armed states joining the treaty. Using publicly available information on the size of nuclear weapon stockpiles and on declared and estimated rates of warhead dismantlement, the article assesses the time it may take to destroy current weapon stockpiles. It suggests a plausible deadline of 10 years, with a possible 10 year extension in case of exceptional circumstances.
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Moritz Kütt & Zia Mian: Setting the Deadline for Nuclear Weapon Destruction under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament, DOI: 10.1080/25751654.2019.1674471