Introduction
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or the NPT is an international treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and their technology. The treaty seeks to promote collaboration for the peaceful use of nuclear technology. The treaty also seeks to ultimately achieve complete nuclear disarmament (Blacker 34).
The NPT was created because there was general anxiety for the safety of a world with many nuclear-weapon states. The cold war brought strained relations between the United States and the Soviet Union both of whom possessed nuclear weapons. From then there was an increase of countries that stocked nuclear weapons and this reduced security for all, increased the risks of accidents and illicit use of weapons. The biggest fear was that in the case of escalation of tensions in war it would lead to nuclear conflict. In 1970, the treaty came into operation. So far a total of 187 countries have signed the treaty. The five nuclear-weapon countries are also signatories of the treaty. The treaty is highly significant because it has so many countries of the world being signatories to it.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for safeguarding the policies of the treaty towards the goal of non-proliferation. They ensure that all countries that have signed the treaty comply through inspections conducted by them. This technology can be accessed by all the signatories of the treaty. The agency guards against the diversion of fissile material for weapons use (Perkovich 87).
The treaty has the provision that it should be reviewed every five years… The state parties met again in 2000. They examined the implementation of the Treaty’s provisions since 1995. They also sort to strengthen the review process of the treaty.
Constituents
The NPT consists of eleven articles seven of which are given a higher priority and can be interpreted as a three-pillar system. The seven articles are what define the three pillars of the treaty.
- Article II discourages countries that don’t have nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices to not receive assistance towards their development and production.
- Article III allows the IAEA to conduct its safeguards to all nuclear facilities to prevent the diversion of nuclear material towards the development and production of nuclear weapons (Perkovich 57).
- Article IV This article brings out two main issues: All the signatory countries have a right to produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as long as they conform to Articles I and II. This will be done with the consideration of the development of that state.
- Article VI allows for the pursuit of nuclear weapons and equipment disarmament of all the signatory states through proper negotiations in the shortest time frame.
It also states how long the treaty will be effective and the provision of an extension if deemed necessary.
For a better interpretation of the articles the three-pillar system was devised:
First pillar
Non-proliferation
Five states in the world are recognized in the treaty as nuclear-weapon states. In 1992 France and China signed the treaty. The five countries came to a consensus not to trade off nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. This is found in the first article of the treaty. For the non-nuclear states, they agreed not to develop and produce nuclear weapons or to receive any assistance towards the production of nuclear weapons. Lastly, the treaty agreed for the signatory states to allow safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify that they are not redirecting peaceful nuclear energy towards the development of nuclear weapons (Dunn 56).
Second pillar
Disarmament
The treaty encourages the signatory states to ease tension and enhance international trust by creating conditions that would lead to the eventual disarmament of the states from nuclear weapons. Article five obligates the signatory states to the total disarmament of nuclear weapons. The obligation is vague because it does not strictly require all signatories to terminate a disarmament treaty but rather the disarmament should be in good faith. In article five it obliges the member states to voluntary disarm but that has not been so with the exemption of South Africa. It is the only country that voluntarily disarmed and even invited the IAEA to inspect its nuclear facilities (Perkovich 87).
Third pillar
Peaceful use of nuclear energy
If any of the countries want to develop nuclear energy, it has to be in such a way that it does not encourage the development of nuclear weapons.
The treaty allows for sovereign states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes but they have to exercise this in conformity with articles 1 and 2.
Controversies in Asia
India and Pakistan are established nuclear powers and are not signatories to the treaty. Israel also declined to sign the treaty because it has a policy of deliberate ambiguity.
India and Pakistan have publicly tested nuclear weapons over since the commencing of the treaty. India was the first to conduct these tests in 1978. Pakistan on the other hand tested its nuclear weapons in 1998. India is not a signatory to the treaty because China which is its neighbor has nuclear weapons. India considers the treaty as flawed because it did not distinguish the requirement for universal, non-discriminatory certification and treatment.
The 14 were classified as being for civilian use and this was considered as a major step towards nuclear weapons non-proliferation.
They canceled the withdrawal that year but on January 10 2003 they gave notice again for their withdrawal. They developed nuclear weapons for national defense, especially against the United States. These actions have led to the country receiving sanctions. The country tested its first nuclear weapon On October 2, 2006.
Iran is a signatory to the treaty and has nuclear power plants but has over the years failed to comply with the treaty by not declaring its uranium enrichment program. In 2006 the United Nations Security Council declared that Iran was not complying with the treaty.
Current Status
President Obama and Russian President Medvedev signed the START treaty which limits nations’ nuclear weapons stockpiles to two-thirds of their current size. The United States is very concerned with the development of nuclear weapons in Pakistan and North Korea. Pakistan has terrorist cells hence the fear by other countries that the weapons might find themselves with the terrorists.
Works Cited
Blacker, Coit. The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. New York: Routledge, 1985.
Dunn, Lewis. The nuclear non-proliferation treaty: issues of compliance and implementation. California: University of California, 1997.
Perkovich, George. Principles for Reforming the Nuclear Order. Paris: Bond, 2008.