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What is the NPT?
Facts, Background, and Resources
The nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty became international law in 1970. At the time,
there were five nuclear nuclear weapon states: China, France,
the United Kingdom, the United States, and the USSR. Since
then, India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea have developed
nuclear weapons, and they remain the only countries outside
the treaty. The NPT contains the only binding commitment to
nuclear disarmament in a multilateral treaty on the part of
the Nuclear Weapon States in Article
VI .
190
governments have ratified this Treaty (though there are
189 States Parties, as North Korea withdrew from the Treaty
after it ratified it.) The States Parties meet every five
years at a Review Conference (or RevCon)
to assess the implementation of the treaty. There is a Preparatory
Committee (or PrepCom) conference that meets for
two weeks in the three years leading up to the Review Conference.
For instance, in preparation for the 2010 Review Conference,
there are three PrepComs: in 2007 (Vienna), 2008 (Geneva),
and 2009 (New York). The Review Conferences always take place
in New York.
During the PrepComs, many working papers are tabled, and
the Chairman drafts a Final Summary statement, but none of
these documents are binding. Rather, these statements, working
papers, summaries, and reports are to be used as assessment
tools at the Review Conference.Only the Review Conferences
produce a consensus document. NGOs have become significant,
visible, and important players at these conferences, and we
have included the materials that they have circulated at these
conferences as well.
Originally intended as a temporary treaty, the
NPT stipulates that 25 years after entry into force, a conference
shall be convened to decide whether or not the Treaty shall
continue indefinitely, or be extended for an additional fixed
period or periods. In 1995, this conference was convened,
and a package
of decisions extend the Treaty indefinitely.
Five years later, at the 2000 Review Conference
all 187 governments - including the five official nuclear
weapon states - agreed to a 13 Point Action Plan for the systematic
and progressive disarmament of the world's nuclear weapons.
(Available in both HTML
and PDF.)
At the 2005 Review Conference, states parties
could not agree on a final document, and the five week long
conference was considered to be a failure. 2010 is the
next chance to move forward.
Facts and background
Resources
- Model
Nuclear Inventory: Accountability
is Democracy, Transparency is Security
A
comprehensive database of all nuclear materials, both military
and civilian, in the 44 States recognized as having a significant
nuclear capability.
- News
in Review
NGO daily reports from preparatory committee and review
conferences.
- "Debating
Disarmament: Interpreting Article VI of the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons"
A debate between Dr. Chris Ford of the US State Department
and Dr. John Burroughs of the Lawyers'
Committee on Nuclear Policy
- Major
Proposals to Strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Developed in preparation for the Seventh Review Conference
of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, this resource guide
aims to help NGOs,students, the media and governmental delegations
understand the issues to be debated and discussed at the
Review Conference. This publication looks at what proposals
have been put forward, their relevance to the Treaty and
where key governments stand on these issues.
-
Nuclear
Disarmament: What NOW?!
RCW
booklet co-sponsored by IPPNW, CND, SMLK, Rissho Kosei-Kai
and the Middle Powers Initiative, with contributions from
Jayantha Dhanapala, Rebecca Johnson, Senator Doug Roche,
Ron McCoy, Jean DuPreez, John Burroughs,
Jackie Cabasso and more.
NGO Links
Inter-govermental Links
Governmental Links
University and Institute Links to
NPT pages
- George Washington University (USA) -- Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Information
- Monterey Institute of International Studies (USA)
-- The Non-Proliferation Review, Spring-Summer 1995 Issue,
Vol. 2&3. "Delegates
Perspectives on the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference"
by Susan B. Walsh, a Senior Research Associate at the Center
for Non-Proliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute.
She was an advisor to the Kyrgyz delegation at the 1995
NPT Review and Extension Conference. For further information
on nonproliferation, visit the Monterey
Institute Website.
- Monterey Institute
of International Studies (USA) -- Speech given on Non-Proliferation
by Undersecretary for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala,
entitled Reinforcing the NPT Regime at the International
Workshop on the 2000 Conference of the Strengthened NPT
Review Process on November 1, 1999. It is a comprehensive
speech covering the breadth of the subject. Ambassador Dhanapala
was the Chair of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference
and presided over the indefinite extension decision taken
at that conference.
- New York University (USA) --
The Global Beat reprint article by Tariq Rauf and John
Simpson on the 1999 NPT PrepCom. Comprehensive article,
well worth reading. Authors are associated with the Monterey
Institute of International Affairs
- University of Minnisota (USA) -- Peace
Resource Center
- Technical University of Munich (Germany) -- www.frm2.tu-muenchen.de/e/presse/blumenwitz.html
-- This site address the proliferation impacts of a nuclear
reactor in Germany.
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