Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE

The future of the nuclear non-proliferation regime: the 2010 NPT review conference
The bilateral US-Russian talks on the reduction of strategic nuclear arsenals
(START Treaty, the renewal of which is still under negotiation as of the
end of 2009) should be placed in this context.
Point four on the agenda was the development of Nuclear-Weapon-
Free Zones (NWFZs): the importance of creating such zones is recognised,
especially in the Middle East (where the task is made more difficult by
the existence of a non-NPT nuclear state, Israel, in its midst) and is stated
that the establishment of additional zones in the future would be welcome.
Three new NWFZs have been established since 1995: in Southeast
Asia (1995 Bangkok Treaty, in force since 28 March 1997), in Central Asia
(Statement issued by the Five Nations at Almaty, on 8 September 1996, in
force since 21 March 2009) and in Africa (1996 Treaty of Pelindaba, in force
since 15 July 2009). These new zones are added to three existing ones:
the Antarctic (Antarctic Treaty of 1959, in force since 23 June 1961), Latin
American and the Caribbean (Tlatelolco Treaty of 1967, in force for all states
in the region since 23 October 2002) and the South Pacific (Rorotonga
Treaty of 1985, in force since 11 December 1986). In addition, Mongolia
declared itself to be a nuclear-weapon-free territory on 25 September
1992, a status effective since 3 February 2000, the date the United Nations
General Assembly adopted a specific resolution, 63/56(36).
The fifth issue addressed by the NPT Conference, albeit with little success,
was to secure a commitment from the P-5 on the non-first use of
nuclear weapons (in the form of adoption of a legally binding international
treaty) against States Parties to the Treaty (negative security assurances).
In sixth place was the strengthening of the IAEA international safeguard
system with a view to preventing cases of non-compliance with
the Treaty in the future which, as stated, following several years of negotiations,
resulted in the adoption of the «Model Protocol Additional to the
Agreements for the Application of Safeguards» (INFCIRC/540).
Lastly, the document on «P&Os» included an extensive reference to
what is the third pillar of the NPT, «the inalienable right of all the parties
to the Treaty to develop […] use of nuclear of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes without discrimination and in conformity with articles I, II as well
as III of the Treaty». As well as a right, it is considered a duty of the states
with more advanced nuclear technology to facilitate the involvement of the
(36) The resolution is entitled «Mongolia’s international security and nuclear-weapon-free
status». For a retrospective analysis of this question see http://cns.miis.edu/inventory/
pdfs/mongol.pdf.
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