Osiris Fraternal Order

Securing Nuclear Materials From Dastardly Menaces
A resolution to improve world security by boosting police and military budgets.

Category: International Security | Strength: Mild | Proposed by: Imperium Anglorum Affirming the right of member nations to possess nuclear weapons and to use them in the case that they are attacked by hostile forces,

Concerned that there does not yet exist any legislation to protect the manufacture of nuclear weapons from being banned by the World Assembly,

Observing that there are more than six times more non-WA nations than member nations and believing that such protections are necessary for the security of member nations,

This august World Assembly hereby:

Maintains the right of member nations to manufacture and trade nuclear weapons or reactors, to possess the materials required in such manufacture, and to acquire the materials required in such manufacture;

Maintains the right of member nations to have knowledge of the manufacture and trade of nuclear weapons or reactors, to possess such knowledge, and to acquire such knowledge;

Mandates that member nations take all practical actions to safeguard the manufacture and knowledge spoken of in the first two clauses from the wrong hands, especially those which conspire against the stability of member nations; and

Directs the Nuclear Energy Safety Commission (NESC) to ensure that nuclear materials and knowledge are secured from the wrong hands by providing funds and assistance to nations which are unable to defend their own nuclear knowledge and technology.

Summary: This resolution is essentially the Nuclear Arms Possession Act on steroids. NAPA recognizes the right of World Assembly member states to possess nuclear weapons. This resolution goes further and recognizes the right of member states to manufacture and trade nuclear weapons or reactors and the knowledge and materials required for constructing them.

The resolution also requires member states to prevent nuclear knowledge and materials from falling into "the wrong hands" and directs the Nuclear Energy Safety Commission to assist member states in doing so.

Recommendation: AGAINST

Analysis: In the real world, it is commonly recognized that certain states cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons, either because they will misuse them or because they will not secure them properly (due to instability, economic problems, underdeveloped technology, etc.), allowing violent non-state actors to steal and misuse them. Moreover, there is always the possibility for misuse, even in more stable member states with well-secured weapons. Nuclear weapons -- by their very existence -- simply make the world less safe, which is why nuclear non-proliferation is such an important foreign policy goal in real life.

Of course, it can still be argued that it is important for some states to maintain access to nuclear weapons as a deterrent. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty linked above recognizes five UN member states with access to nuclear weapons, and Auralia maintains a nuclear weapons arsenal IC. However, I do not think it is responsible for the World Assembly to adopt a policy that enables and promotes the construction of nuclear weapons by all member states.

The resolution's attempt to secure nuclear technology from "the wrong hands" is admirable, but should be fleshed out and done in a separate resolution that does not guarantee the right of every rogue state to procure nuclear weapons.

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