The Non-Proliferation Regime as Stratified Order: Power, Prudence, and the Politics of “Stability” Introduction Since 1968 the nuclear non-proliferation regime—anchored in the NPT, the IAEA safeguards system, export-control cartels (NSG, MTCR, Wassenaar), and later instruments such as the CTBT—has been justified as a bulwark of international stability. Critics, however, argue that the regime has ossified … Continue reading To what extent has the global nuclear non-proliferation regime evolved into a mechanism serving the entrenched strategic interests of nuclear-weapon states, thereby reinforcing an asymmetric international order under the pretext of maintaining political stability, and how does this dynamic affect the prospects for equitable disarmament and global security governance?