This article has been written by Ms. Mahima Chandra, a second-year student of Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida

Abstract: – 

The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), established in 1968, stands as a cornerstone in international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote global security. This paper provides an abstract overview of the NPT, exploring its historical context, key principles, impact, and the challenges that it faced.

The NPT is a multilateral pact with three main goals: fostering cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, limiting the spread of nuclear weapons and technology, and seeking nuclear disarmament. Signatory states pledge not to spread nuclear weapons, to cooperate peacefully on nuclear issues, and to aggressively pursue disarmament. The pact is thought to be an essential tool for preserving world peace and security.

Non-Prolification Treaty: – The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is an international framework that ensures nuclear non-proliferation. The agreement was signed on July 1, 1968, and became effective on March 5, 1970.

The pact was drawn, authored, and negotiated by the Eighteen Nations Committee on Disarmament; a UN-sponsored organization based in Switzerland. 

The United States dropped the devastating and potent atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945. World War 2 ended as a result of the act but at a tremendous cost. Between the two cities, there were between 129,000 and 226,000 total deaths, as well as innumerable injuries and cases of radiation sickness.

Along with possible weapon misuse, the aftermath of the bombings was a major source of concern for world powers. Calls for a safety measure to guarantee that nuclear arms control was in place resulted from this worry. Accordingly, a 1961 United Nations resolution demanded the creation of a treaty to stop the development of nuclear weapons. Later on, this agreement would be known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty forbids nuclear states from assisting other countries in obtaining weapons while also forbidding non-nuclear states from getting nuclear weapons. striving toward complete disarmament concurrently. The United Nations Atomic Energy Commission’s replacement, the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirms that the treaty is being followed. The United Nations Security Council then enforces the compliance. 

Nine countries have nuclear weapons. The US, UK, France, Russia, and China are the five countries that have signed the treaty. The remaining four countries, which are North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel, are not parties to the pact because they have not signed it. 

Why India did not sign NPT? 

According to the Indian government, the treaty as it stands is unfair because it essentially declares that the five countries that won World War II are entitled to nuclear weapons while condemning the other countries that do not to be at the mercy of the whims and fancies of the countries that do. The deal, to put it briefly, separates the globe into nuclear “haves” and “have-nots.” 

India has always maintained that everyone should have the same rights as those who possess them, or the five countries should denuclearize. Additionally, the main reason India conducted its nuclear tests in the first place was the escalation of tensions by China, one of its nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistan conducted its nuclear test as a deterrent to what it saw as “India’s naked aggression” in response to the same escalation by India.

Historical Development: – 

The Cold War and the growing nuclear weapons race shaped the historical evolution of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Below is a synopsis of significant turning points in the development and evolution of the NPT: –

Baruch plan (1946): – The United States presented a detailed plan for international management of atomic energy to the globe in 1946. Bernard Baruch submitted a proposal in June of that year to the newly established United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (UNAEC) advocating for the unification of all atomic energy forms under the supervision of a UN agency. Nevertheless, the UN never approved the Baruch plan and the catastrophic nuclear arms race that Stimson had foreseen materialized and continues to this day.

According to Gregg Heken, the false notion that the atomic bomb could be used by the United States as a “winning weapon” in the developing conflict with the Soviet Union led to the creation of the Baruch plan. Bernstein articulates the widely held opinion that the collapse of the Baruch plan negotiations must be interpreted as a sign of mistrust between the US and the USSR and as both a cause and an effect of the Cold War.

Atom of Peace (1935): -In a speech to the UN General Assembly on December 8, 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced the “Atoms for Peace” program. President Eisenhower presented a vision for worldwide cooperation and the peaceful use of atomic energy in this landmark speech. This would allow for the harnessing of nuclear technology’s benefits while preventing its application for destructive reasons. The key point to Atom of Peace is to Peaceful use of atomic energy, and to exchange of scientific knowledge, technology, and materials about atomic energy, the President called for international collaboration. The goal of this partnership was to advance nuclear power development for non-military uses including producing electricity and treating ailments. 

The President proposed that the United Nations take the lead in directing global initiatives for the peaceful application of atomic energy. To oversee his proposed program, he envisaged the creation of an international institution for atomic energy under the United Nations. The United States promised to offer technical support to nations looking to develop peaceful nuclear programs as part of the initiative. The goal of this support was to advance the use of nuclear energy for social and economic advancement.

Geneva Disarmament Conference (1958-1961): – The term “Geneva Disarmament Conference” refers to a set of discussions that took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the main goal of resolving the Cold War arms race between the US and the USSR, particularly the race for nuclear weapons. The conferences, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, had a big impact on the way people talked about disarmament at the time. A key aspect of this conference was to address the arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear conflict. The international community sought measures to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons and to promote global security through disarmament. The Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other nations were present at the summit. These countries were the main players in the worldwide arms race, especially when it came to the creation of nuclear weapons. During the conference, several ideas were made, including schemes for both general and total disarmament. Significant differences did, however, emerge, especially between the US and the USSR, on matters like the type of inspections, when to take disarmament actions, and whether or not to regulate conventional weapons.

Many conferences and negotiations were used to try to address disarmament issues after the Geneva Disarmament Conference broke down. But things didn’t get any better, and the larger Cold War dynamics kept influencing disarmament initiatives.

Limited test Ban Treaty (1963): – The Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee (ENDC) saw the start of talks on a non-proliferation pact by the US, the UK, and the USSR. The final NPT negotiations were based on the discussions that preceded them.

NPT Opens for signature (1968): – The NPT, which was initially signed by the US, the UK, the USSR, and 59 other nations, was designed to keep nuclear weapons from spreading while allowing for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It was made available for signature on July 1, 1968, and went into effect on March 5, 1970. 

Review Conference (1975 and beyond): – There were 91 parties to the NPT by the time of the First Review Conference in May 1975.

Divergent opinions were voiced on the Conference’s goals, how the Treaty’s provisions would be carried out, and how to make it stronger right away. Every five years, review conferences are required by the NPT to evaluate progress and discuss new issues. The interpretation and execution of the pact have been greatly influenced by these talks. 

Nuclear Free Weapon Zone: – Any group of States may enter into regional treaties to guarantee “the total absence of nuclear weapons in their respective territories,” as stated clearly in the NPT. These kinds of regional nuclear-weapon-free zones support international efforts for peace and security and enhance global nuclear non-proliferation. 

Five regional nuclear-weapons-free-zone treaties mandate that its parties reach a thorough safeguards agreement with the IAEA:

The 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco, forbade the use of nuclear weapons in Latin America, and the Caribbean Treaty of Rarotonga, 1985, established the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone The Bangkok Treaty of 1995 established the Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in Southeast Asia. African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Agreement (Pelindaba Treaty, 1996) Semipalatinsk Treaty of 2006: Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. 

Extension and Amendment (1995): – In 1995, the NPT was extended indefinitely. The conference also led to the decision to strengthen the treaty, including the Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

The complexity of the Cold War era and the continuous difficulties in striking a balance between the goal of nuclear disarmament and the aim for the peaceful application of nuclear technology are reflected in the historical evolution of the NPT. One of the most important tools in international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons is still the NPT.

Challenges: –

Numerous obstacles stand in the way of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Treaty has been severely strained for some years, largely because of the ongoing tension between governments possessing nuclear weapons and states lacking such weapons. Disarmament and non-proliferation are the NPT’s two biggest obstacles. Many states without nuclear weapons contend that disarmament is not happening quickly enough, even though the number of nuclear weapons has dramatically decreased since the mid-1980s when Cold War levels peaked. Non-proliferation efforts will surely be significantly impacted by this situation. 

Promoting nuclear disarmament is one of the NPT’s main objectives. But as required by Article VI of the NPT, nuclear-armed states have come under fire for their lack of major disarmament efforts, and progress in this area has been sluggish. A few nations, most notably Israel, India, and Pakistan, never ratified the NPT and instead built nuclear weapons outside of its bounds. After conducting nuclear tests and leaving the NPT in 2003, North Korea posed a serious threat to the treaty’s efficacy. 

The United Powers, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom are known as the P5 nuclear-armed powers. Critics claim that the NPT separates these governments from non-nuclear-armed states. Given that states with nuclear weapons are required to work toward disarmament but states without nuclear weapons are forbidden from obtaining nuclear weapons, some view this as a double standard.

The NPT is facing new problems as a result of technological advancements, particularly the possibility that non-state actors will get nuclear weapons. The framework of the treaty must be continuously adjusted to address these new challenges to maintain its applicability and efficacy.

Conclusion: –

To tackle these obstacles, persistent diplomatic endeavors, global collaboration, and adherence to the NPT tenets are needed. The NPT continues to be an essential foundation for international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons despite these obstacles. In conclusion, the Non-Proliferation Treaty remains a crucial instrument in the global effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. 

REFERENCE: –

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