The Need to Establish a New International Organization and the Adoption of an Implementation and Verification Protocol to the NPT or a New Inernational Convention for the Destruction of All Nuclear Weapons (original) (raw)

NPT Review Process and Nuclear Disarmament

2008

The purpose of this article is to examine the importance of nuclear disarmament in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review process and for international peace and security. In the 21st century, there have been many challenges to the NPT regime, and many measures have been taken to cope with them. However, they are not effective enough. On the other hand, as nuclear deterrence is not reliable anymore, some argue for a world free of nuclear weapons. Based on the analysis of these issues, the author argues for the importance of nuclear disarmament in order to strengthen the NPT regime and build a more peaceful and secure international community, showing practical steps for nuclear disarmament.

NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT

DEFINATION The Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear weapons also known as the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a landmark international treaty aimed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. Opened for signature on 1 st July 1968, the Treaty came into force in 5 th March 1970. Initially it was intended to operate for a period of 25 years but during the Review Conference of 11 th May 1995, the treaty was extended to continue indefinitely. The NPT is the world's most successful nuclear multilateral non-proliferation agreement with 190 members as parties to the Treaty, and is the only treaty that involves a binding commitment to disarmament by the five nuclear weapon states. HOW & WHY DID IT COME ABOUT? The measures taken to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons were evident from the mid 19 th century. On 20 th November, 1959, on the initiative of Ireland, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution by which it suggest that the Ten-Nation Disarmament Committee consider the feasibility of and an international agreement by which the nuclear-weapon states would not hand over control of those weapons to other Sates and that non-nuclear weapon states would not manufacture such weapons. On 20 th December 1960, another resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly by which it calls upon both the nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states to agree upon prevention of wider dissemination of nuclear weapons as a temporary measure to stop the further proliferation. when 40 non-nuclear and 3 nuclear powers-United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union completed the process of ratification. The development of highly destructive nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction created an atmosphere of balance of terror in international relations. Knowing that if any kind of nuclear conflict or war would happen, then that would bring upon a huge catastrophe upon all of mankind, a large number of States came out advocating measures to prevent such conflicts. And believing that the proliferation of nuclear weapons would seriously enhance the danger of nuclear war, therefore in order to prevent it, they believed that it is necessary to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. There were a number of reasons which actually contributed to the emergence of the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty. Some of these were :-a) Nuclear Nightmare-During the Cold war period, the stockpile of nuclear warheads by the two superpowers United States of America and the Soviet Union, had assumed threatening dimensions. This made the two countries to realize the futility of such an arms race. b) Nuclear Proliferation-It was contrary to the interest of the two Superpowers that more nations should acquire nuclear technology thereby posing a threat to their supremacy. The two Superpowers were not at ease to see Britain, France and China emerging as nuclear powers. c) Fear factor-For the first time in history, nations with nuclear weapons came to acquire the overkill capacity, i.e the capacity to destroy the world several times over. This overkill capacity induced a sense of fear among the small and weak states allowing the nuclear powers to achieve their interest in the world in complete disregard to the opinion and wishes of the other states.

Challenges to the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime

2003

For international peace and security, the international nuclear non-proliferation regime has played an extremely important role. However, the recent state of affairs, including Iraqi and North Korean issues, and a new U. S. nuclear policy under the Bush Administration, reveal several challenges to the regime. In this paper, I examine the development of the situation since the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference and address eight specific challenges to the regime. This paper argues that in order to strengthen the regime, it will be necessary to maintain and strengthen international consensus and motivation toward the regime because the regime ultimately depends on the commitment of States to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. K e yw o r d : nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear weapons, NPT, safeguards, security assuarances, nuclear-weapon-free zones TProfessor of International Law and Relations, Osaka School of International Public Policy,Osaka University, ...

A nuclear weapons convention: framework for a nuclear weapon free world

2010

T nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which has so far prevented the uncontrolled spread of nuclear weapons, is at a crossroads. We know that either the nuclear disarmament obligation contained in Article VI must be fulfi lled without further hedging and excuses, or the whole non-proliferation regime will be at risk. Th e threat of nuclear war itself must be ended by a comprehensive and universal agreement banning nuclear weapons. Th ose who draft ed the NPT in 1968 foresaw the need for complementary agreements both to curb proliferation and to bring about disarmament. In the fi nal speech of his term, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reminded us that nuclear weapons “pose a unique threat to humanity as a whole.”1 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has built upon the insights of his predecessor, calling the model Nuclear Weapons Convention draft ed by civil society2 “a good point of departure” for negotiations.3 In 1996, the International Court of Justice affi rmed a univers...