ACRONYM Reports
ACRONYM Report No.7, September 1995
Executive Summary
The 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the 1968 Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was held in New York, 17 April to 12
May. It was attended by 175 of 178 states parties and by 195
non-governmental organisations. This is a report of the NPT
Conference and analysis of its decisions.
- On 11 May the states parties decided without a vote to extend
the NPT indefinitely. The decision was taken as part of a
politically binding package which included Principles and
Objectives for non-proliferation and disarmament, and agreement on
additional meetings of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) to
enhance the Treaty review process.
- The Principles called for the conclusion of a comprehensive
test ban treaty (CTBT) no later than 1996 and a programme of action
on nuclear disarmament, including a ban on production of fissile
materials for weapons purposes ('Fissban'), and systematic and
progressive efforts to reduce nuclear weapons, with the 'ultimate
goal[s] of eliminating those weapons...'.
- Since then, China has conducted two nuclear tests, on 15 May
and 17 August, saying that it will stop once a CTBT has entered
into force. On 13 June, France announced that it would resume
testing with a series of up to eight explosions between September
and May (the first of which occurred on 5 September). France
claimed these were necessary to enable it to sign a CTBT in 1996.
The Conference on Disarmament (CD) still lacks agreement on the
main CTBT articles of scope, verification, entry into force and the
implementing organisation. The CD has so far failed to convene a
committee to negotiate a convention that would ban fissile
materials for nuclear weapons purposes, despite agreeing its
mandate on 23 March.
- Universality, and particularly the nuclear weapons programme of
Israel, became a major focus of the Conference. At the insistence
of 14 Arab states, a resolution on Middle East security issues was
also passed without a vote. The Conference urged all states to
adhere to the Treaty and sought to put pressure on Israel, India
and Pakistan by agreeing in the Principles that NPT parties would
not supply nuclear materials and technology to any state that
refuses to put its nuclear facilities under full-scope IAEA
safeguards
- The Conference failed to reach consensus on a Final Declaration
summarising its review of the Treaty. It came to important
agreements on security assurances, safeguards, cooperation, safety,
transshipment and dumping of nuclear materials, and so-called
peaceful nuclear explosions. However, there was bitter deadlock on
nuclear disarmament. The non-nuclear-weapon states wanted much more
than the nuclear-weapon states were prepared to offer.
- Western states were united on indefinite extension but divided
over nuclear disarmament. Non-aligned countries were divided on the
extension question but rather more united on substantive issues,
particularly nuclear disarmament. They called for a time-bound
framework of measures leading to the complete elimination of
nuclear weapons. Failure by the nuclear-weapon states to fulfil the
obligations undertaken in the Treaty would discredit the decisions
of the Conference and seriously undermine the non-proliferation
regime.
- Effective implementation of the 'enhanced review' and
'Principles and Objectives' decisions will be vital for the future
authority of the NPT. Planning will need to begin now to ensure
that the Review PrepCom meeting in 1997 is successful in addressing
these issues.
© 1995 The Acronym Institute.
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