Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Conference a qualified success

Journal Article · · Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA)
Although participants in the fourth and final review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) failed to agree on a final declaration or even a formal reaffirmation of support for the treaty, the review was not a disaster. In fact, many considered the August-September Geneva meeting a qualified success. It was also the most interesting review to data because participants had their eyes fixed on 1995, when the first term of the treaty expires and a conference will decide the treaty's future. Because the main decision at the future conference - how long to extend the treaty - will require a simple majority, the non-nuclear parties have acquired the kind of political leverage they have not possessed since the treaty was negotiated. The nuclear signatories, as well as the non-nuclear parties, regard the NPT as the most important pillar of the nonproliferation regime, with more parties (141) than any other disarmament treaty. However, some nonaligned countries noted that the NPT had been a great success in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons states, but had been an utter failure in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons per se, which is the purpose of the treaty as indicated in its title. The nonaligned and other non-nuclear states came to the 1990 review prepared to use their renewed leverage to once again press the case for a comprehensive test ban and nuclear disarmament.
OSTI ID:
5883664
Journal Information:
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA), Journal Name: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA) Vol. 46:10; ISSN BASIA; ISSN 0096-5243
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English