Rescuing Nuclear Non Proliferation

The Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty review conference will begin the work of adapting the NPT to our rapidly changing world.

The Nuclear Non Proliferation (Safeguards) Act 1987

The NPT regime stands on three pillars non proliferation, nuclear disarmament, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

There cannot be non proliferation without nuclear disarmament.

Nuclear disarmament is the best way to achieve non proliferation.

In 2003, North Korea abandoned the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.

For over three decades, the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been the cornerstone of the world's non proliferation regime, a position that derives from growing acknowledgement of the legal and normative standards that it established.

Nor has North Korea s behavior done anything to help the cause of global non proliferation and disarmament.

The only possible framework for negotiations is the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), concluded in 1968.

After the treaty was signed, the US hosted a nuclear non proliferation summit, a landmark event for the Obama administration, which has made the fight against nuclear proliferation a trademark policy.

We are convinced that the non proliferation Treaty should continue to play an irreplaceable role in nuclear proliferation prevention, nuclear disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

It seeks to win the confidence of its neighbors and has remained within the confines of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

As a declared non nuclear weapon state, Indonesia has always striven for nuclear non proliferation indeed, for a world free of nuclear weapons. But the cause of nuclear non proliferation is now in deep trouble, as countries are once again tempted to acquire the means of oblivion.

These events will flow into May s Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.

(Unfortunately, this did not halt the country s subsequent withdrawal from the NPT.)

In the field of nuclear non proliferation, China strongly supports the Agency in its efforts to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of its safeguards regime.

This constrains the number of nuclear weapon states, thus fulfilling one of the NPT's most important goals.

As a declared non nuclear weapon state, Indonesia has always striven for nuclear non proliferation indeed, for a world free of nuclear weapons.

The right to independent nuclear research and development under the NPT is not disputed.

The EU believes the prevention of nuclear proliferation and the pursuit of nuclear disarmament in accordance with article VI of the NPT are essential for global peace and security.

See Nuclear proliferation.

The NPT is not a license for the five original nuclear powers to cling to these weapons indefinitely.

Despite the NPT's shortcomings, the overwhelming majority of non nuclear states fully comply with their Treaty obligations. This constrains the number of nuclear weapon states, thus fulfilling one of the NPT's most important goals.

Of course, the NPT has repeatedly been violated or circumvented by states that never subscribed to it.

The nuclear cooperation agreement was criticized in the US Congress for not being strict enough on non proliferation issues, but it looked likely to pass.

By exposing the inadequacy of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, Iran, a signatory, has signaled to Israel that the regional order can no longer be based on Israel s nuclear monopoly as a non NPT member. Hence, the solution lies not only in forcing NPT members like Iran and Syria to comply with their commitments, but in creating a broader regional security and cooperation architecture in the Middle East.

It commits the US not to employ or threaten to employ nuclear weapons against states that do not possess them, provided that these countries remain in compliance with the NPT and their other nuclear non proliferation obligations.

Europe perhaps benefited more than any other part of the world from nuclear deterrence, because it helped to preserve peace during the Cold War and prevented nuclear proliferation.

Today, Iran declares that it wants to observe the NPT, and that has no intention of building a nuclear bomb.

This includes restoring ties with Europe, tightening the nuclear nonproliferation regime and possibly a restoration of China as the centerpiece of US policy in Asia.

Looking to the future, the whole approach to nuclear non proliferation must change.

Ten years after opting out of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, North Korea clearly possesses nuclear weapons.

Failure to do so would result in the further erosion of the nuclear non proliferation regime and seriously affect international security and stability.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to initiating a trilateral dialogue is Chinese resistance to formal nuclear arms control agreements, which is rooted in the memory of Cold War era nonproliferation initiatives aimed partly at preventing China from developing its own nuclear deterrent.

A New Start for Non Proliferation

First, the five main nuclear weapon states have not taken seriously their NPT obligation to work for nuclear disarmament.

That nuclear chauvinism is an attitude reinforced by the haves of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States which also constitute the P5.

The administration describes these lower ceilings, and its pursuit of other arms control measures, as meeting America s non proliferation and disarmament obligations under the NPT.

In the same vein, it was also disturbing that no agreement was reached on nuclear non proliferation and disarmament at the world summit last month.

But the cause of nuclear non proliferation is now in deep trouble, as countries are once again tempted to acquire the means of oblivion.

Obama s commitment to substantial nuclear disarmament bodes well for the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Renewal Conference in 2010.

Around the same time, the newly independent states of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine voluntarily relinquished their nuclear arms, and then joined the NPT.

I am speaking of the omission of nuclear disarmament and non proliferation issues.

We need to strengthen our efforts to achieve both nuclear disarmament and nuclear non proliferation.