‘Keep Calm and Carry On’

The document evaluates the outcomes of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, highlighting the tension between the aspirations of Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS), particularly those in Africa, and the reluctance of Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) to commit to firm disarmament timelines. While it notes achievements such as the agreement to convene a conference on a Middle East nuclear-weapon-free zone in 2012 and the reaffirmation of the right to peaceful nuclear energy, it argues that the final document largely maintains the status quo. The authors emphasize the importance of the Treaty of Pelindaba and the need for a comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention to move beyond the NPT's perceived discriminatory structure.

• The 2010 NPT Review Conference resulted in a final document consisting of a 64-step action plan and the President's interpretation of the review of each NPT article, though the decision-making process was criticized for occurring 'behind closed doors' among a small subset of states.
• A significant outcome was the agreement that the UN Secretary-General and co-sponsors (US, Russia, and UK) will convene a conference in 2012, involving all Middle East states, to pursue a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
• Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) successfully resisted including specific timelines for complete disarmament in the final document, phrasing disarmament actions as aspirational goals rather than firm commitments.
• African states and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) expressed disappointment that the outcome did not fully meet their aspirations for nuclear abolition, but they view the document as a basis for future progress and intend to pursue a Nuclear Weapons Convention to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons by 2025.
• The final document reaffirms the inalienable right of states to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and specifies that developing states should receive preferential treatment in this area.
• The document highlights the importance of the Treaty of Pelindaba, which created the world's largest nuclear-weapon-free zone, and notes the US administration's intent to submit protocols to the US Senate to ratify participation in African and South Pacific nuclear-weapon-free zones.
• The NPT review process is noted to lack a formal follow-up mechanism between conferences, leading to delays in implementing previous resolutions; the 2010 document only encourages past and incumbent Chairs to be available for consultations.

APA

Hubert, F. K., Broodryk, A., & Stott, N. (2010). ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/211.pdf

Chicago

Hubert, Foy Kum, Amelia Broodryk, and Noël Stott. ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. Institute for Security Studies, 2010. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/211.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hubert |first1=Foy Kum |last2=Broodryk |first2=Amelia |last3=Stott |first3=Noël |title=‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=June 2010 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/211.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hubert2010keep, author = {Hubert, Foy Kum and Broodryk, Amelia and Stott, Noël}, title = {{‘Keep Calm and Carry On’}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2010}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/211.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }