—Reckless Americans …on climate, AI, war
The U.S. delegation to UN on nuclear deproliferation formally blocked the inclusion of “emerging technologies” (specifically AI in nuclear command) on the substantive agenda, arguing the UN Disarmament Commission isn’t the right forum for it.
Talks continue in NYC through Friday.
The U.S. accused the UN of attempting to create a “centralized governance” structure for disarmament that would infringe on national sovereignty, leading to a heated exchange with the Russian and German delegations.
The UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) was forced to move into “informal mode” because member states could not reach a consensus on the three-year cycle recommendations.
Iran officially notified the UN that it will not restore IAEA camera access to its damaged sites, claiming that previous U.S. and Israeli strikes have made international monitoring “impossible and irrelevant.”
ChatGPT
The current talks at the UN are the 11th Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and they are scheduled to continue in New York through Friday, 22 May 2026.
This is the big five-yearly conference where nearly all countries review:
- nuclear disarmament,
- non-proliferation,
- safeguards and inspections,
- and peaceful nuclear energy rules.
The atmosphere is especially tense this year because of:
- worsening US-Iran tensions,
- Russia-West confrontation after Ukraine,
- China’s nuclear expansion,
- and fears that the global arms-control system is weakening.
One major question is whether the conference can agree a consensus final document. The last several review conferences struggled or failed to do so, and analysts warn another collapse would damage the credibility of the NPT system.
There’s also parallel attention on:
- indirect US-Iran nuclear diplomacy,
- Saudi nuclear ambitions,
- and debates over stronger inspection powers for the International Atomic Energy Agency.
My wish
Meanwhile climate talks are turgid.