The 2026 NPT Briefing Book, released for the upcoming Review Conference, provides a comprehensive reference for diplomats and civil society on nuclear non-proliferation. This updated edition details the NPT's evolution, summarizes past review cycles including the 2022 Review Conference and subsequent PrepComs, and highlights the persistent lack of consensus on substantive outcomes. Key chapters address the NPT's text, the Middle East WMD-Free Zone, and the P5 process, noting its recent inability to issue joint positions. Significant updates to nuclear policies of NPT-recognized states are detailed: France introduced "forward deterrence," Russia lowered its nuclear threshold post-Ukraine, and the UK considered expanding delivery methods. The book also covers the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), its increasing ratifications, and the establishment of a new UN scientific panel on nuclear war's humanitarian impacts. Critically, it documents the complete unravelling of bilateral arms control between Russia and the United States, culminating in the expiration of the New START treaty in February 2026, signaling a challenging future for global nuclear stability.
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