Our Goal
To Eradicate Weapons of Mass Destruction from the Middle East
Who we are
The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) is a coalition of civil society activists and practitioners seeking to rid the Middle East from all weapons of mass destruction as a gateway toward regional security and peace.
Vision | A peaceful, integrated and thriving Middle East built on human and environmental security.
Mission | Eradicate WMDs, broker peace and build security in the Middle East.
What we want
What? Eliminating the possession, production, stockpile and use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Who? 24 Countries (22 countries of the Arab League, plus Iran and Israel)
How? By negotiating, signing and ratifying a treaty to establish a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East.
All 24 countries have to sign and ratify all existing and future WMD treaties and conventions namely:
- Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)
- Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
- Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
- Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
- Biological Weapons Conventions (BWC)
The good news is that most of them have done it!
NPT
signed/ratified
23
CTBT
signed/ratified
21
TPNW
signed/ratified
6
CWC
signed/ratified
23
BWC
signed/ratified
21
The Problem
No trust and political will
No agreement on when & how
No engagement with civil society
Our Solution
We believe a WMDFZ in the Middle East can be advanced through a treaty-based approach involving three key components:
A WMDFZ
Treaty
A text freely arrived at by relevant governments and stakeholders through an inclusive process.
A Regional Institution
To oversee the treaty’s eventual implementation, verification and compliance.
Civil Society Engagement
To advance a robust civil society movement ensuring governments deliver on their commitments to non-proliferation and human security.
Our Achievements
Providing Solutions: METO’s draft treaties have provided technical, politically feasible solutions to achieve disarmament in the Middle East.
Building Bridges: We have brought together policymakers, academics, and activists from across the Middle East, facilitating ground-breaking dialogue and collaboration.
Shaping Futures: We are training current and future practitioners in the field of disarmament and security through education and capacity-building programmes.
Creating Awareness: We have put issues of human security and disarmament into the spotlight.
Impacting Policy: We have brought about change at the highest levels of international diplomacy and policymaking.
Together, these contributions have already changed the disarmament discourse from one of impossibility, to the realm of possibility.
Our Approach
The METO evolving Draft Treaty text combined with our advocacy work provides governments with a realistic path forward. These efforts are further strengthened through our humanitarian initiative, our publications, our diplomatic track, our educational program, our public outreach campaigns, and by building partnerships with a broad range of civil society organizations.
Draft Treaty
METO’s Draft Treaty is a constantly evolving text developed through a collaborative and inclusive process. This includes off-the-record roundtable discussions with experts and diplomats addressing specific technical and political issues which the official diplomatic process is faced with.
Humanitarian Initiative
Our Humanitarian Initiative researches into the disastrous consequences of weapons of mass destruction on human beings and the environment, we give a voice to the victims in international disarmament forums and through our own media activities and we campaign for survivor assistance.
Publications
Our Publications combine traditional research and analysis methods with findings from expert roundtable discussions to revise the Draft Treaty text along with policy papers that address issues at the intersection of disarmament and human security.
Citizen Diplomacy
Citizen Diplomacy advocates and promotes the Draft Treaty text and policy briefs to relevant governments and at major international disarmament conferences. This includes bilateral meetings with diplomats and convening events at UN forums.
Education
Our Education and Capacity Building Programs aim to cultivate current and the next generation of practitioners in peace and security domain. METO’s semester-long seminars provide deep insight into disarmament and geopolitics to students from across the region.
Public Outreach
Public Outreach efforts aim to galvanize the wider community on how they can join, contribute and shape the path forward toward WMD disarmament in the region. We do this through disarmament campaigns, public lectures and coverage in the media.
Our Partners
Our Partnerships with leading academic and policy institutions are key to advancing our goal of a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East. They also enhance our network of practitioners developing realistic technical and political solutions toward disarmament and security.
