NPT: A Controversial Treaty

In the first part of this article, we explore the 45-year history of the NPT treaty and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. We will also look at the NPT Review Conference held every five years and the subject of Iran's nuclear negotiations with six world powers. It has been 45 years since an international treaty known as the NPT was implemented. The NPT, or Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which was considered a milestone of the Cold War era in the 1960s, was prepared for signature by other countries in 1968 by the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. Dozens of countries, including Iran, joined it, and in 1970, this international treaty was implemented 45 years ago. The treaty is based on three principles: disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Over the years, approximately 190 countries have joined this treaty, although some have yet to ratify it in their legislatures. Currently, the NPT has four main absentees: India and Pakistan, two countries that acknowledge possessing nuclear weapons; Israel, which is internationally recognized as a nuclear-armed state but does not admit it; and North Korea, which was previously a member of this treaty and has been out of it for twelve years. Despite this, Avner Cohen, a professor of disarmament studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, believes that the NPT is the most important international security treaty agreed upon by countries. Cohen told Radio Farda, "It is impossible to imagine what the world would be like without the NPT. I think it would be a chaotic and dangerous world. When negotiations for the NPT were conducted, there were five nuclear-armed countries in the world, and they have still not been disarmed. Although disarmament was one of the fundamental principles of the treaty, the number of nuclear-armed countries did not increase as feared. In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy's nightmare was that twenty or thirty more countries would acquire weapons; this did not happen, although Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea became armed. This is certainly a problem and needs to be addressed. However, these are not twenty or thirty countries. Therefore, one cannot say the situation is entirely favorable, but this treaty has been successful." While many disarmament analysts agree with Avner Cohen on the success or importance of the NPT, the events of today's world remind us that disarmament, non-proliferation, and even the peaceful use of nuclear energy remain significant challenges for the international community. The concern that brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the negotiating table fifty years ago regarding a nuclear treaty is still a concern for many analysts in 2015. The fact that nuclear weapons are still used as a strategic tool in the discourse of powerful countries is alarming. Tarek Raouf, director of the nuclear disarmament program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told Radio Farda, "Unfortunately, many believed that with the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the use of nuclear weapons as a political tool would significantly decrease. However, in recent years we have witnessed a return of this phenomenon to its previous state. In the current situation in Europe and the Ukraine crisis, we have heard comments from Russia reminding its opponents of its nuclear capabilities. On the other hand, NATO and the U.S. also emphasize the role of nuclear weapons, and in NATO's updated strategy, nuclear weapons still play an important role in the defense of its members." The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, was initially prepared for a 25-year period. However, in 1995 (twenty years ago), this treaty became permanent. At the time of drafting the NPT text, countries without nuclear weapons, such as Switzerland, Norway, and Germany, feared that by joining this treaty, they would limit their nuclear activities while the five nuclear-armed countries would have superiority over them with a relative commitment in this treaty. Therefore, Article VIII of the NPT states that since the implementation of the NPT, a conference of the treaty members should be held every five years to review the implementation of the treaty and for members to propose their suggestions looking to the future. So far, eight rounds of these review conferences have been held, and the ninth conference will take place from April 26 for three weeks in New York. This conference will occur after the formation of several committees and preliminary meetings and preparations in an environment where one of the most challenging issues related to nuclear energy today is the Iranian nuclear program and the negotiations surrounding it. Negotiations aimed at reaching an understanding on solutions are currently in the stage of drafting a comprehensive agreement. Adam Shainman, the U.S. Special Representative for Nuclear Non-Proliferation, commented on the impact of these negotiations at the NPT Review Conference, stating, "I think although there is still much work to be done, the fact that we have reached a consensus on the framework of a comprehensive agreement and have made significant progress is viewed positively by all NPT members. This is an example of a diplomatic victory, a tool that can be used to address many challenges of this treaty, and given that we are in a very complex and strategic environment, I believe the issue of Iran will be very good news for this conference." The complex environment that this U.S. official refers to, alongside the Iranian nuclear issue, includes the isolation of North Korea, the Ukraine crisis, and tensions in U.S.-Russia relations on one side, and the fear of extremists, particularly Islamist militants, gaining access to nuclear weapons on the other. Tarek Raouf, who is currently in New York to attend the NPT Review Conference, describes the danger of nuclear weapons as follows: "The world cannot bear the consequences of even one atomic bomb explosion, regardless of whether it happens accidentally or intentionally during a war. The world does not have the capacity to face the impact of such an event on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Because even the smallest atomic weapon today is hundreds of times more powerful than the weapons used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki." In the final stages of World War II, seventy years ago, the U.S. used the atomic bomb on the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombings left at least 129,000 dead and were the only time nuclear weapons were used in a war. In the second part of this article, we will look at two prominent topics of the Review Conference: the humanitarian aspect of disarmament and a Middle East free of nuclear weapons.