Topic Discussion

1
Topic Discussion
Future of the NPT ?
Adrian MendezUniversity of Missouri-ColumbiaNucl
ear Science and Engineering Institute
2
The Nuclear Arm Race

• The control of the atomic bomb will undoubtedly
  be a matter of the greatest difficulty and would
  involve such thoroughgoing rights of inspection
  an internal controls as we have never heretofore
  contemplated and that the question of sharing
  it with other nationsbecomes a primary question
  of our foreign relations. Henry Timson,
  Secretary of War, 25 April 1945

3
Non-Proliferation Treaty

• Established with the intent of limiting the
  spread of nuclear weapons.
  
• By December 2002, a total of 188 states were
  signatories of NPT.
  
• Israel, India, and Pakistan were the only states
  that were not members of NPT.

4
Highlights of NPT
IAEA established
US, UK, Soviet Union and 59 countries (including
Iran) signed the NPT
France joined NPT, the last of five acknowledged
nuclear
weapon states
North Korea Joined NPT
July 29, 1957
July 1, 1968
December 12, 1985
August 3, 1992
September 3, 1974
March 9, 1992
January 10, 2003
February 14, 1967
DPRK had withdrawn From the NPT
China joined NPT as the fourth nuclear weapon
state
Zangger Committee First major international e
ffort
for export controls on nuclear materials
Treaty of Tlatelolco Prohibiting nuclear weap
ons
In Latin America
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Is the NPT effective?

• Countries in violation of the treaty
• North Korea was in violation (they have since
  withdrawn from the NPT)
  
• Iran (have threatened to stop honoring
  additional protocol if referred to the U.N.
  Security Council)
  
• A number of countries have (or are suspected to)
  nuclear weapons and have not signed the NPT
  
• India and Pakistan
• Israel

6
Discussion

• Has the NPT been successful or is it on the verge
  of breaking apart?
  
• Is it possible to convince India, Pakistan, and
  Israel to join the NPT and bring North Korea back
  into the NPT?
  
• Can the NPT be repaired or should it be
  replaced?
  

7
Discussion

• only a social psychologist could hope to explain
  why the possessors of the most terrible weapons
  in history should have sought to spread the
  necessary industry to produce them in the belief
  that this could make the world safer - 1966