Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation
The States concluding this
Treaty, hereinafter referred to as the "Parties to the Treaty",
considering the devastation that would be
visited upon all mankind by a nuclear war and the consequent need to make
every effort to avert the danger of such a war and to take measures to safeguard
the security of peoples,
Believing
that the proliferation of nuclear weapons
would seriously enhance the danger of nuclear war,
In
conformity with resolutions of the United
Nations General Assembly calling for the conclusion of an agreement on the
prevention of wider dissemination of nuclear weapons,
Undertaking
to co-operate in facilitating the
application of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on peaceful nuclear
activities,
Expressing
their support for research, development and
other efforts to further the application, within the framework of the
International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards system, of the principle of
safeguarding effectively the flow of source and special fissionable materials by
use of instruments and other techniques at certain strategic points,
Affirming
the principle that die benefits of peaceful
applications of nuclear technology, including any technological by-products
which may be derived by nuclear-weapon States from the development of nuclear
explosive devices, should be available for peaceful purposes to all Parties of
the Treaty, whether nuclear-weapon or non-nuclear weapon States,
Convinced
that, in furtherance of this principle, all
Parties to the Treaty are entitled to participate in the fullest possible
exchange of scientific information for, and to contribute alone or in
co-operation with other States to, the further development of the applications
of atomic energy for peaceful purposes,
Declaring
their intention to achieve at the earliest
possible date the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to undertake effective
measures in the direction of nuclear disarmament,
Urging
the co-operation of all States in the
attainment of this objective,
Recalling
the determination expressed by the Parties
to the 1963 Treaty banning nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in outer
space and under water in its Preamble to seek to achieve the discontinuance of
all test explosions of nuclear weapons for all time and to continue negotiations
to this end,
Desiring
to further the easing of international
tension and the strengthening of trust between the States in order to facilitate
the cessation of the manufacture of nuclear weapons, the liquidation of all
their existing stockpiles, and the elimination from national arsenals of nuclear
weapons and the means of their delivery pursuant to a treaty on general and
complete disarmament under strict and effective international control,
Recalling
that, in accordance with the Charter of the
United Nations, States must refrain in their international relations from the
threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes
of the United Nations, and that the establishment and maintenance of
international peace and security are to be promoted with the least diversion for
armaments of the world's human and economic resources, Have agreed as
follows:
Article
I
Each
nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to transfer to any
recipient whatsoever nuclear weapons or other explosive devices directly, or
indirectly; and not in any way assist, encourage, or induce any
non-nuclear-weapon State to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or
other nuclear explosive devices, or control over such weapons or explosive
devices.
Article
II
Each
non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to receive the
transfer from any transfer or whatsoever of nuclear weapons or other explosive
devices or of control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or
indirectly; not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other
nuclear explosive devices; and not to seek or receive any assistance in the
manufacture of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
Article
III
1. Each non-nuclear-weapon State
Party to the Treaty undertakes to accept safeguards, as set forth in an
agreement to be negotiated and concluded with the International Atomic Energy
Agency in accordance with the Statute of the International Atomic Energy
Agency and the Agency s safeguards system for the exclusive purpose of
verification of the fulfillment of its obligations assumed under this Treaty
with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peacefuluses to
nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Procedures for the
safeguards required by this article shall be followed with respect to source or
special fissionable material whether it is being produced, processed or used in
any principal nuclear facility or is outside any such facility. The safeguards
required by this article shall be applied to all source or special fissionable
material in all peaceful nuclear activities within the territory of such State,
under its jurisdiction, or carried out under its control any here.
2. Each State Party to the Treaty
undertakes not to provide: (a) source or special fissionable material, or (b)
equipment or material especially designed or prepared for the processing, use or
production of special fissionable material, to any non-nuclear-weapon State for
peaceful purposes, unless the source or special fissionable material shall be
subject to the safeguards required by this article.
3. The safeguards required by this
article shall be implemented in a manner designed to comply with the article IV
of this Treaty, and to avoid hampering the economic or technological development
of the Parties or international co-operation in the field of peaceful nuclear
activities, including the international exchange of nuclear material for the
processing, use or production of nuclear material for peaceful purposes in
accordance with the provisions of this article and the principle of safeguarding
set forth in the Preamble of the Treaty.
4. Non-nuclear-weapon States Party
to the Treaty shall conclude agreements with the International Atomic Energy
Agency to meet the requirements of this article either individually or together
with other States in accordance with the Statute of the International Atomic
Energy Agency. Negotiation of such agreements shall commence within 180 days
from the original entry into force of this Treaty. ForStates depositing their
instruments of ratification or accession after the 180-day period, negotiation
of such agreements shall commence not later than the date of such deposit. Such
agreements shall enter into force not later than eighteen months after the date
of initiation of negotiations.
Article
IV
1. Nothing in this Treaty shall be
interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all Parties to the Treaty to
develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes
without discrimination and in conformity with articles I and II of this Treaty.
2. All the Parties to the Treaty
undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest
possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological
information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Parties to the Treaty in a
position to do so shall also co-operate in contributing alone or together with
other States or in international organizations to the further development of the
applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially in the
territories of non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty, with due
consideration for the needs of the developing areas of the world.
Article
V
Each
Party to the Treaty undertakes to take appropriate measures to ensure that, in
accordance with this Treaty under appropriate international observation and
through appropriate international procedures, potential benefits from any
peaceful applications of nuclear explosions will be made available to
non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty on a nondiscriminatory basis and
that the charge to such Parties for the explosive devices used will be as low as
possible and exclude an charge for research and development Non-nuclear-weapon
States Party to the Treaty shall be able to obtain such benefits, pursuant to a
special international agreement or agreements, through an appropriate
international body with adequate representation of non-nuclear-weapon States.
Negotiations on this subject shall commence as soon as possible after the Treaty
enters into force. Non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty so desiring may
also obtain such benefits pursuant to bilateral agreements.
Article
VI
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
VII
Nothing
in this Treaty affects the right of any group of States to conclude regional
treaties in order to assure the total absence of nuclear weapons in their
respective territories.
Article
VIII
1. Any Party to the Treaty may
propose amendments to this Treaty. The text of any proposed amendment shall be
submitted to the Depositary Governments which shall circulate it to all Parties
to the Treaty. Thereupon, if requested to do so by one-third or more of the
Parties to the Treaty, the Depositary Governments shall convene a conference, to
which they shall invite all Parties to the Treaty, to consider such an
amendment.
2. Any amendment to this Treaty
must be approved by a majority of the votes of all the Parties to the Treaty,
including the votes of all non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty and all
other Parties which, on the date the amendment is circulated, are members of the
Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The amendment
shall enter into force for each Party that deposits its instrument of
ratification of the amendment upon the deposit of such instruments of
ratification by a majority of all the Parties, including the instruments of
ratification of all nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty and all other
Parties -which, on the date the amendment is circulated, are members of the
Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Thereafter, it
shall enter into force for any Party upon deposit of its instrument of
ratification of the amendment.
Five years after the entry into
force of this Treaty, a conference of Parties to the Treaty shall be held in
Article
IX
1. This Treaty shall be open to all
States for signature. Any State which does not sign the Treaty before its entry
into force in accordance with paragrapn 3 of this article may accede to it at
any time.
2. This Treaty shall be subject to
ratification by signatory States. Instruments of ratification and instruments of
accession shall be deposited with the Governments of the
3. This Treaty shall enter into
force after its ratification by the States, the Governments of which are
designated Depositaries of the Treaty, and forty other States signatory to this
Treaty and the deposit of their instruments of ratification. For the purposes of
this Treaty, a nuclear-weapon State is one which has manufactured and exploded a
nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device prior to
4. For States whose instruments of
ratification or of accession are deposited subsequent to the entry into force of
this Treaty, it shall enter into force on the date of the deposit of their
instruments of ratification or accession.
5. The Depositary Governments shall
promptly inform all signatory and acceding States of the date of each signature,
the date of deposit of each instrument of ratification or of accession, the date
of the entry into force of this Treaty, and the date of receipt of any requests
for convening a conference or other notices.
6. This Treaty shall be registered
by the Depositary Governments pursuant to article 102 of the Charter of the
United Nations.
Article
X
1. Each Party shall in exercising
its national sovereignty have the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it
decides that extraordinary events, related to the subject matter of this Treaty,
have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country. It shall give notice of
such withdrawal to all other Parties to the Treaty and to the United Nations
Security Council three months in advance. Such notice shall include a statement
of the extraordinary events it regards as having jeopardized it supreme
interests.
2. Twenty-five years after the
entry into force of the Treaty, a conference shall be convened to decide whether
the Treaty shall continue in force indefinitely, or shall be extended for an
additional fixed period or periods. This decision shall be taken by a majority
of the Parties to the Treaty.
Article
XI
This
Treaty, the English, Russian, French, Spanish, and Chinese texts of which are
equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the Depositary
Governments. Duly certified copies of this Treaty shall be transmitted by the
Depositary Governments to the Governments of the signatory and acceding States.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly authorized, have signed this Treaty, DONE
in triplicate, at the cities of Washington, London and Moscow, this first day of
July one thousand nine hundred sixty-eight.