The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Background - May 27, 2005

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) came into force in 1970. Under the terms of the Treaty, the nuclear weapons states agreed to eliminate their nuclear weapons. In return, the non-nuclear weapons states agreed not to manufacture or acquire nuclear weapons. At the time, stopping all nuclear testing through a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was seen as a key step to stopping and reversing the arms race.

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Anti-nuclear weapons action in Berlin, April 2005, depicts a skeletal Statue of Liberty emerging from a nuclear bomb.

The NPT today is in trouble. The promise of a nuclear test ban has notbeen met. The United States seems determined to set off a new arms raceby creating small, tactical nuclear weapons such as the bunker-busting"mini-nukes." At the same time, the difficulties controlling nuclearmaterials has led to a fundamental reconsideration of the treaty'scentral tenet: that you can promote nuclear power and still controlnuclear weapons.

April, 2005 As delegates to the Non-Proliferation Treaty prepared for their meetingat the United Nations, leading experts from Korea and around the worldgathered at a seminar in Seoul to share information, and solutions, onthe increasingly dangerous situation in North East Asia.

The seminar was sponsored by Greenpeace International, the KoreanFederation for Environmental Movements, and the Peace Forum for NorthEast Asia in the 21st century. You can find the conferencedocuments here.