Austria's Nuclear Arsenal: Fact Or Fiction?

Nuclear weapons are a pressing global issue, with nine countries possessing around 14,000 nuclear warheads between them. Austria has been a vocal opponent of nuclear weapons and a strong advocate for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The country has actively supported the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), ratified it in 2018, and confirmed that it does not own, possess, or control any nuclear weapons. With its foreign policy centred on nuclear disarmament, Austria has played a leading role in multilateral processes and negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons, emphasising their humanitarian impact and catastrophic consequences.

Austria's stance on nuclear weapons

Austria has a strong stance against nuclear weapons. Nuclear disarmament, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the goal of a world free of weapons of mass destruction are key priorities of Austria's foreign and security policy.

Austria believes that only a widespread rejection and condemnation of such weapons can prevent their proliferation and the inherent risks and catastrophic humanitarian consequences of their use. To this end, Austria actively engages in all relevant multilateral processes on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The country is a strong supporter of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and actively participates in its implementation, emphasising compliance with disarmament and non-proliferation obligations.

Austria also advocates for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and supports the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), which is headquartered in Vienna. Additionally, Austria is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other relevant regimes concerning launcher systems.

Austria played a significant role in the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The country was among the original 50 states that ratified the treaty, which entered into force on January 22, 2021. Sebastian Kurz, the then-minister for foreign affairs, signed the TPNW at a high-level ceremony in New York on September 20, 2017. Addressing the United Nations ahead of the signing, Kurz stated:

> "Today, we often hear that nuclear weapons are necessary for security. This narrative is not only wrong, it is dangerous. The new treaty provides a real alternative: a world without nuclear weapons, where everyone is safer."

Austria has consistently promoted universal adherence to the TPNW through bilateral meetings, opinion articles, and social media posts. The country hosted the first meeting of states parties to the TPNW in Vienna in 2022, demonstrating its commitment to a nuclear-free world.

Austria's foreign minister, Alexander Schallenberg, has emphasised the urgency of nuclear disarmament, particularly on the 78th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He stated that the notion of nuclear deterrence as a security guarantee is a "fatal fallacy" and that the risk of nuclear weapons use is higher than it has been in decades.

International treaties and nuclear weapons

Austria has been at the forefront of states pushing for nuclear disarmament. The country has consistently supported the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and actively engages in its implementation process. The NPT is a landmark international treaty that aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. The treaty is considered the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and has been ratified by more countries than any other arms limitation and disarmament agreement.

In addition to the NPT, Austria is also a strong advocate for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and its entry into legal force. It supports the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), which is headquartered in Vienna. Austria has also ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and was among the original 50 states parties to the treaty when it entered into force on 22 January 2021. The TPNW prohibits the possession, use, and threat of use of nuclear weapons under international law. As of 2023, 92 states have signed the treaty and 68 states have acceded to it.

Austria has played a leading role in multilateral processes on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The country hosted the third in a series of intergovernmental conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons in 2014, where it launched a pledge endorsed by 127 states to cooperate in efforts to stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate nuclear weapons. This "humanitarian pledge" was instrumental in building momentum and support for the TPNW negotiations.

Austria has also been active in promoting adherence to the TPNW through ministerial-level bilateral meetings, opinion articles, and social media posts. The country served as the vice-president of the bureau during the TPNW negotiation conference at the United Nations in New York in 2017. Austria argued that there is no "wrong time" for negotiating a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, and that doing nothing is not a better strategy given the risks associated with nuclear weapons.

In conclusion, Austria has been a strong advocate for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation through its support for international treaties such as the NPT, CTBT, and TPNW. The country has played a leading role in multilateral processes and negotiations, and has actively promoted adherence to the treaties through various means. Austria's efforts reflect its commitment to achieving a peaceful, secure, and nuclear-weapon-free world.

Austria's foreign policy on nuclear disarmament

Austria's support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its emphasis on compliance with disarmament obligations are key aspects of its foreign policy. Additionally, the country advocates for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and supports the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), which is headquartered in Vienna. Austria also participates in export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and their launch technologies.

The country has been a leader in highlighting the humanitarian impact and risks of nuclear weapons, hosting conferences and commissioning studies to raise awareness and build momentum for disarmament. In 2014, Austria initiated a humanitarian pledge to stigmatise, prohibit, and eliminate nuclear weapons, which gained the endorsement of 127 states. This pledge was instrumental in building support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Austria played a significant role in the negotiation and adoption of the TPNW, which entered into force in January 2021. The country was among the first 50 states to ratify the treaty and has actively promoted its universal adherence. As of 2023, over 90 countries have signed the treaty, with more than 60 ratifications.

Austria has also been at the forefront of multilateral nuclear disarmament initiatives within the United Nations framework. In 2016, it co-launched Resolution 71/258, which led to negotiations on an international nuclear ban within the UN in 2017. These negotiations culminated in the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, demonstrating Austria's commitment to a nuclear-free world through diplomatic efforts.

Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ)

The establishment of NWFZs is affirmed by Article VII of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which entered into force in 1970. The UN General Assembly reaffirmed the right of countries to establish these zones in 1975 and outlined the criteria for such zones. There are currently five NWFZs, with four of them spanning the entire Southern Hemisphere: Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco, 1967), the South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga, 1985), Southeast Asia (Treaty of Bangkok, 1995), Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba, 1996), and Central Asia (Treaty of Semipalatinsk, 2006).

The NWFZ definition does not include countries or smaller regions that have outlawed nuclear weapons through their own laws, such as Austria with the Atomsperrgesetz in 1999. However, Austria has played a leading role in promoting nuclear disarmament and is a strong supporter of the NPT. The country has also ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and hosted the first meeting of state parties to the TPNW in Vienna in 2022.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)

The TPNW bans the use, possession, testing, transfer, development, production, stockpiling, stationing, and threat of use of nuclear weapons under international law. It also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and the provision of assistance to any state in conducting prohibited activities. States parties are obliged to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited under the TPNW that is undertaken by persons or on territory under their jurisdiction or control. Additionally, the treaty requires states to provide adequate assistance to individuals affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons and to take necessary measures for environmental remediation.

The TPNW is the result of efforts by non-nuclear weapons states to push for nuclear disarmament by focusing on the severe humanitarian consequences of nuclear war. The Humanitarian Initiative gained support within the international community, and its backers hoped that the 2015 Review Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) would achieve substantial progress toward nuclear disarmament. Although 160 states endorsed the initiative at the conference, it failed to produce a consensus final document. As a result, efforts shifted to the United Nations General Assembly, where a majority vote of member states is required to reach a decision, rather than consensus.

At the United Nations, states discussed strategies for advancing the nuclear disarmament agenda, with many speaking in favor of opening negotiations for a ban treaty. The nuclear-reliant states present opposed this fast-tracked approach and favored a more gradual approach. Despite this opposition, the proponents of a ban treaty were successful, and the UN General Assembly voted to convene a conference in 2017 to prohibit nuclear weapons.

The TPNW was adopted on July 7, 2017, after two rounds of negotiations, with 122 states voting in favor, one against (the Netherlands), and one abstention (Singapore). All nine nuclear-armed states boycotted the negotiations, along with most NATO countries and many military allies of nuclear-armed states. The treaty opened for signature on September 20, 2017, and entered into force on January 22, 2021, after the fiftieth instrument of ratification was deposited.

Austria has signed and ratified the TPNW, playing a leading role in the efforts toward nuclear disarmament. It was among the original 50 states parties to the treaty and has actively promoted universal adherence to it. Austria hosted the first meeting of states parties to the TPNW in Vienna in 2022, where the Austrian minister of foreign affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, emphasized the urgency of nuclear disarmament and the need to move away from nuclear weapons.

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