Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
About
- The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of disarmament. It entered into force in 1970.
- Its states-parties are classified into two categories: nuclear-weapon states (NWS)—nuclear weapon states that had manufactured and detonated a nuclear explosive device prior to 1 January 1967 (United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom)—and non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWS).
- Under the treaty, the five NWS commit to pursue general and complete disarmament, while the NNWS agree to forgo developing or acquiring nuclear weapons.
- The Treaty represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.
- The NPT has 191 members; India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan have not joined, and North Korea announced its withdrawal from the treaty in 2003.