O papel do tratado de proibição de armas nucleares no regime internacional de não-proliferação e desarmamento nuclear

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the role of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in the international regime of non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. In a global scenario marked by armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions — such as the wars between Russia and Ukraine, the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the nuclear advance of countries such as North Korea, Iran and China — it is essential to reflect on the legal and political instruments that seek to limit the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons. The TPNW, adopted in 2017 and in force since 2021, emerges as a response by the international community to the urgent need to strengthen containment and disarmament mechanisms, alongside already consolidated treaties such as the NPT and the CTBT. Based on a qualitative approach, the study is based on realist, and constructivist theories of International Relations, in order to understand the limits, challenges and contributions of the TPNW within the logic of international regimes. Structured in three parts — historical and normative contextualization, theoretical foundation and critical analysis of the TPNW — the work points out that, despite not having the support of nuclear powers, the treaty represents a relevant normative and symbolic advance for the promotion of a safer world that is less dependent on nuclear weapons.