TPNW Meeting of States Parties

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) established a process for periodic meetings to review the application or implementation of the Treaty and to consider further measures for nuclear disarmament.  

These meetings are expected to address matters such as:  

• Implementation and status of the Treaty;  

• Measures for the verified, time-bound, and irreversible elimination of nuclear-weapon programmes, including additional protocols to the Treaty; and  

• Any other matters consistent with its provisions.1 

The first review conference is to be convened five years after the Treaty’s entry into force, with subsequent conferences held at six-year intervals.2 The purpose of the conference is to review the operation of the treaty and the progress in achieving its objectives. The First Review Conference will take place on 30 November-4 December 2026 in New York.  

In the lead-up to the review conference, States Parties are expected to meet regularly at the Meeting of States Parties (MSP), on a biennial basis, unless otherwise agreed. An extraordinary meeting may also be convened when deemed necessary, upon the written request of any State Party, provided that the request is supported by at least one third of the States Parties.3 

Since the Treaty entered into force in 2021, three MSP have been held.  

The First Meeting of States Parties, held from 21 to 23 June 2022 in Vienna, adopted the Declaration “Our Commitment to a World Free of Nuclear Weapons”, the Vienna Action Plan, the meeting report, and four decisions:  

1. On the deadlines for the removal from operational status and destruction of nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices, and their removal from national territories (article 4);  
2. On institutionalizing scientific and technical advice for the effective implementation of the Treaty, including the establishment of a Scientific Advisory Group (TPNW/MSP/2022/WP.6);  
3. On the complementarity of the Treaty with the existing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime; and  
4. The intersessional structure for the implementation of the Treaty.4 

The Vienna Action Plan outlines the measures that States Parties will undertake during the intersessional period. These efforts focus primarily on preparing for the second Meeting of States Parties, while also extending beyond it to strengthen both the implementation and universalization of the Treaty. Specifically, Actions 15–18 address the implementation of Article 4, while Actions 33–34 pertain to the work of the Scientific Advisory Group.5 

The Second Meeting of States Parties, held from 27 November to 1 December 2023 in New York, adopted the Declaration “Our commitment to upholding the prohibition of nuclear weapons and averting their catastrophic consequences,” the meeting report, and five decisions:  

1. Establishing an intersessional structure for Treaty implementation;  
2. Thematic debates at the Meetings of States Parties;  
3. Voluntary reporting on Articles 6 and 7, with guidelines and a reporting format established in document TPNW/MSP/2023/3;6  
4. International trust fund to support victim assistance and environmental remediation; and  
5. Consultative process to address the security concerns of States under the TPNW.  

The Third Meeting of States Parties, held from 3 to 7 March 2025 in New York, adopted the Declaration “Strengthening our commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons amid rising global instability”, the meeting report, and four decisions:  

1. Establishing an intersessional structure for Treaty implementation;  
2. Convening the First Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;  
3. Creating an international trust fund to support victim assistance and environmental remediation from the consequences of nuclear use and testing; and  
4. Initiating a review process for renewing the mandate and terms of reference of the Scientific Advisory Group7.