| Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty |
| Instead of an outright ban on the use or attainment of atomic weapons, a gradual approach was attempted with the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The five nuclear weapon States that had manufactured and detonated a nuclear weapon before January 1, 1967 made a commitment to rid themselves of nuclear weapons. All other States made a commitment not to acquire nuclear weapons in return for assured access to peaceful nuclear technology through the technology holders. International verification was added to the treaty by an export control system to ensure that all nuclear material and relevant equipment would be subject to verification, and through the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), set up in 1974 after India’s nuclear explosion. Some non-nuclear countries believe that their security could be assured by sheltering beneath a nuclear "umbrella" as part of a strategic alliance (particularly NATO). Many others, despite their feelings of a nuclear threat, believe that the unevenness of rights and obligations in the NPT was to be accepted as only a temporary imbalance. They believed a better alternative would stop the further spread of nuclear weapon capabilities. Although the NPT remains the most notable accomplishment of nuclear weapon control, with 187 States part of the treaty, there are still three nuclear capable countries not included: India, Pakistan, and Israel. Four nuclear weapon free zones have successfully been established: Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Central Asia is currently being negotiated under the NPT. Currently, the Agency is safeguarding over 900 facilities in 70 countries on a budget of approximately $80 million per year and its responsibilities are growing. Since the Cold War, the United Nations Security Council has carried out its role in ensuring compliance with non-proliferation obligations much more. The post Cold War world, although in some respects safer, has also become considerably more complex. This is due in part to the realization of the smuggling of nuclear material. |