TY - BOOK AU - GIBBONS Rebecca Davis AU - HERZOG Stephen TI - Durable institution under fire?: the NPT confronts emerging multipolarity PY - 2022/// KW - NUCLEAR WEAPONS KW - NONPROLIFERATION KW - NPT KW - INTERNATIONAL REGIMES KW - TREATIES KW - MULTIPOLARITY N2 - The regime built around the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has helped curtail the spread of nuclear arms for fifty years. In hindsight, it is remarkable only nine states possess the world's most powerful weapon. The NPT achieved much success during Cold War bipolarity and U.S. unipolarity in its aftermath. But today, China's rise and Russia's resurgence have ushered in a new era of emerging multipolarity. Can the treaty withstand the potential challenges of this dynamic environment? There is a real risk that multipolarity may shake the scaffolding of the nonproliferation regime, presenting a significant test to the NPT's durability. This article identifies four essential elements of the nonproliferation regime: widespread membership, adaptability, enforcement, and fairness. History suggests bipolarity and unipolarity in the international system largely sustained and promoted these NPT features. When international regimes lack such elements, it sharply curtails their long-term efficacy UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13523260.2021.1998294 ER -