Major Nonproliferation Treaties and Agreements

January 6, 2004

For more information contact: Robert Gard, rgard@armscontrolcenter.org
  • Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

  • Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

  • 1994 Agreed Framework

  • Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWTC or BWC)

  • Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

TREATY ON THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS (NPT)

Status: Entered into force on March 5, 1970.  Signed and ratified by 187 countries.  Holdouts include Israel, India, Pakistan, and Cuba.

Purpose: Control the spread of nuclear weapons technology.

Key provisions:

  • The five nuclear weapons states (the U.S., Russia, U.K., France, and China) agree not to transfer nuclear weapons to any non-nuclear weapon state as well as not to assist any non-nuclear weapon state in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Non-nuclear weapon states in turn agree not to seek or receive any nuclear weapons or assistance from the nuclear weapon states (Articles I, II).

  • Non-nuclear weapon states must submit all nuclear facilities to safeguards imposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), while nuclear weapons states must share all information relevant to the peaceful development of nuclear energy technology (Articles III, IV, V).

  • Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control. (Article VI)

Notes:

The NPT was extended indefinitely and without condition at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference in New York. States Party also developed a set of APrinciples and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament that included an affirmation of the disarmament pledge made by the Nuclear Weapon States and completion of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

At the 2000 NPT Review Conference, the five nuclear weapon states again declared their Aunequivocal commitment to the ultimate goals of a complete elimination of nuclear weapons and a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR)

Status: Voluntary agreement established April 16, 1987

Purpose: Make it difficult for rogue states or terrorist organizations to obtain materials for the development of weapons of mass destruction. 

Key Provisions:

  • The members of the MCTR adopt a common export policy restricting the export of delivery systems and related technology for systems capable of carrying a 500kg payload at least 300km.

  • The regime also prohibits the export of all systems intended to deliver chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. MCTR applies to ballistic missiles, space-launch vehicles, sounding rockets, unmanned air vehicles, cruise missiles, drones, and remotely-piloted vehicles.

Current members: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, The Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America

Countries pledging to abide by MTCR without joining: Bulgaria, China, Israel, Romania, and the Slovak Republic

1994 AGREED FRAMEWORK

Purpose: Agreement negotiated by the Clinton Administration to freeze North Korean nuclear programs and keep North Korea in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Status: Signed on October 21, 1994.  Unofficially suspended following acknowledgement by North Korea of a uranium enrichment program in 2002.

Key Provisions:

  • North Korea pledged to freeze and eventually dismantle a five-Megawatt nuclear reactor and plutonium reprocessing facility at Yongbyon, and halt construction of a 50-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon and a 200-megawatt plant at Taechon.

  • In exchange, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan agreed to provide North Korea with two light-water nuclear power reactors that would be subject to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

  • In addition, the U.S. promised to provide up to 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil per year to meet North Korea’s energy needs until the first reactor begins operation.

  • The U.S. and North Korea pledged to move toward full normalization of political and economic relations.

  • A special organization, the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) was established to implement the agreement.

BIOLOGICAL and TOXIN WEAPONS CONVENTION (BTWC or BWC)

Status: Agreement entered into force on March 26, 1975 for unlimited duration.  Currently, there are 162 nations that have signed, ratified, or otherwise acceded to the BWC.  Notable non-signatories include Algeria, Israel, Kazakhstan, and Sudan.

Key Provisions:

  • Bans development, production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of biological agents or toxins that have no justification for protective or peaceful purposes.

  • Bans equipment for the delivery of such agents for hostile purposes.

  • Upon joining the Convention, nations are required to destroy hostile biological agents within 9 months and destroy all biological weapons production facilities.

Notes:

The BWC has no formal verification regime to monitor compliance.  In 1995, the United States and other nations undertook negotiations to draw up a verification protocol to the convention by November 2001.  A draft protocol was finally completed in 2001, but in July of that year, the U.S. rejected the protocol, effectively nullifying seven years of work.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC)

Status: Entered into force April 29, 1997 for unlimited duration.  174 nations have signed, ratified, or otherwise acceded to the CWC.  Notable non-signatories include Egypt, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and Syria.

Key Provisions:

  • The CWC bans the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of chemical weapons by all signatories, and requires them to destroy all their chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facilities.

  • The CWC restricts the export of certain chemicals to non-adherents.

  • The CWC regime monitors commercial facilities that produce, process or consume dual-use chemicals to ensure they are not diverted for prohibited purposes.

  • The CWC bans the use of riot control agents “as a method of warfare.”

  • The CWC creates a three tiered verification system implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that includes inspections at declared sites and facilities, monitoring, and short notice challenge inspections with no right of refusal.

For more information contact: Robert Gard, rgard@armscontrolcenter.org