ITUC-Asia Pacific slams NPT deadlock, demands elimination of nuclear weapons

ITUC-Asia Pacific expressed profound disappointment over the failure of the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to adopt a final outcome document, warning that the ongoing deadlock leaves working people vulnerable to growing geopolitical risks.

From 27 April to 22 May 2026, the NPT Review Conference was convened in New York to assess progress on the implementation of the NPT’s three pillars: nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Happening amid escalating geopolitical tensions, this marks the third consecutive NPT Review Conference that concluded without meaningful consensus towards nuclear disarmament.

Shoya Yoshida, ITUC-Asia Pacific General Secretary, emphasised the direct impacts this has on the working people:

“As trade unions, we underline that nuclear weapons are not abstract instruments of deterrence. They are a direct threat to human life, livelihoods, and the future of our societies. Workers are always among the first to suffer the devastating human, economic, and environmental consequences of conflict.”

ITUC-Asia Pacific maintains that while the full and effective implementation of the NPT remains indispensable, the persistent failure of nuclear-armed states to fulfil their disarmament obligations under Article VI demonstrates that the NPT alone is insufficient. In this context, it reaffirms that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) represents an essential, complementary instrument.

Rejecting claims that the TPNW undermines the NPT, Shoya Yoshida said:

“The TPNW gives concrete expression to the NPT’s disarmament commitments and helps to close the gap between legal obligation and political action. The two treaties are mutually reinforcing and must be advanced in parallel to build a global normative framework that completely delegitimises nuclear weapons.”

ITUC-Asia Pacific reaffirmed the vital role of trade unions in the global movement for nuclear abolition in a resolution adopted by the 27^th ITUC-Asia Pacific Regional General Council in 2025 when it marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The resolution underscored that nuclear weapons threaten not only peace, but also decent work, sustainable development, and the rights of future generations. It also recognised the enduring legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the voices of the Hibakusha, which serve as a stark reminder that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Beyond the existential threat, ITUC-Asia Pacific warns that the spiralling costs of the arms race come at a direct cost to public welfare. “Every dollar spent modernising nuclear arsenals is a dollar stolen from social protection, decent work, and sustainable development,” Shoya Yoshida stressed.

In response to the diplomatic deadlock at the NPT Review Conference, ITUC-Asia Pacific calls on all governments to:

• Fully implement their obligations under the NPT, particularly with regard to nuclear disarmament;
• Ratify and implement the TPNW without delay; and
• Redirect resources from military expenditure towards social justice, climate action, and the creation of decent work.  

Moving forward, ITUC-Asia Pacific pledged to keep the trade union movement at the vanguard of the fight for peace and democracy, maintaining that lasting peace and a true human security cannot coexist with nuclear weapons, and demanding their complete elimination.