The treaty is reviewed every five years as part of an effort to reduce nuclear risks and stop the spread of nuclear arsenals around the world.
Russia had tried to make amendments to the treaty that would have “created chaos” at this late stage of the negotiations, UN Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen said.
“It’s like we’re making a movie this month, but we don’t have the final picture,” Zlauvinen said.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said the lack of action was inexcusable at a time of high risk.
“This outcome is terminally frivolous and a total abdication of responsibility in the face of an unacceptably dangerous global situation,” said the group’s chief executive, Beatrice Fihn.
“Nuclear-weapon states have not only failed to make progress on their disarmament obligations, but have spent more than $82 billion on maintaining and upgrading their arsenals, when the risk of using nuclear weapons is greater than ever, the review conference’s failure to take any action is inexcusable,” Fihn added.
Meanwhile, the United States and dozens of other countries issued a joint statement warning of the threat posed by Russia’s takeover of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.
The threat of a nuclear disaster has been looming for months since the plant fell under Russian control in March. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Russian forces of stockpiling heavy weaponry inside the complex and using it as cover to launch attacks, knowing Ukraine cannot return fire without risking hitting one of the plant’s six reactors.
“We condemn the interference of representatives of the Russian Federation in the operations (of the power plant) and efforts to extend the control of the Russian Federation over the plant,” the joint statement said.
“We demand that Russia immediately withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine and return full control of (the power plant), as well as all nuclear facilities within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, to the appropriate Ukrainian authorities for in order to ensure its safety and security. operations.”
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was first signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970. One hundred and ninety-one parties have signed it, including the five nuclear-weapon states , according to the UN.