Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Overview

Potential Facility Impacts

Current Activities

Overview

Purpose and Background

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) [long title: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] is the world's primary legal and political barrier against further proliferation of nuclear weapons. There are 190 States Parties to the NPT, making it the single most universal arms control agreement. The specific objectives of the Treaty are to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and their technologies; promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; and to achieve general and complete nuclear disarmament.

Under the NPT, the five acknowledged nuclear weapon states (NWS)—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—are obliged not to transfer nuclear weapons, other nuclear explosive devices, or their technologies, to any non-nuclear weapon state (NNWS). All States Parties (NWS and NNWS) are obliged not to provide the following to any non-nuclear weapon state:

• special fissionable material or a source of such material; or
  
• equipment or material especially designed or prepared for the processing, use, or production of special fissionable material unless the state is under international safeguards.

NNWS also agree not to acquire or produce nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices. To verify compliance with the NPT, each NNWS agrees to conclude nuclear safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under these agreements, NNWS agree to declare all nuclear-related activities and to allow IAEA inspectors to conduct on-site inspection activities to verify the accuracy of the state’s declarations and to ensure nuclear materials are not diverted or used to develop nuclear weapons.

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Potential Facility Impacts

Key Verification Measures

There are no verification provisions under the NPT or requirements for nuclear weapon states to conclude safeguards agreements with the IAEA. However, the United States voluntarily concluded the U.S.-IAEA Safeguards Agreement and an U.S.-IAEA Additional Protocol (AP) with the IAEA to demonstrate its leadership and support for the NPT and for the international application of nuclear safeguards by the IAEA.

An NPT Review Conference (RevCon) is held every five years to promote treaty implementation and the universal application of nuclear safeguards by the IAEA.

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Current Activities

Recent Developments

As of November 26, 2009, 24 NPT States Parties had no IAEA Safeguards Agreement in force with the IAEA.

In preparation for the eighth NPT RevCon, to be held May 3-24, 2010 in New York City, the third session of the Preparatory Committee was held May 4-15, 2009 in New York. The Committee finalized procedural issues for the RevCon. During the three annual sessions of the Preparatory Committee, the following topics were discussed:

• security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons;
• nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, and international security;
• nuclear-weapon-free zones;
• peaceful uses of nuclear energy;
• threat of nuclear terrorism;
• international compliance and non-compliance with the NPT;
• universal implementation of the NPT;
• appropriate actions when a State Party withdraws from the NPT (Article X);
• importance of IAEA Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols supporting a bilateral post-START and SORT agreement between the United States and Russia; and
• support for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and a ban on fissile material.