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Summary:
The Treaty prohibits the testing, manufacture, acquisition, and stationing of nuclear explosive devices in the territory of parties to the Treaty and the dumping of radioactive wastes at sea. The Treaty also requires all parties to apply full scope IAEA safeguards to all their peaceful nuclear activities. A comprehensive control system has been established to verify compliance with the Treaty and there are mechanisms, including provision for mandatory on-site inspection, to assure compliance. The Treaty affirms the right of each party to decide for itself whether to allow visits by foreign ships and aircraft to its ports and airfields. It also explicitly upholds the freedom of navigation on the high seas and passage through territorial waters guaranteed by international law.
The Treaty has three protocols. Under Protocol I the United States, France, and The United Kingdom are required to apply the basic provisions of the Treaty to their respective territories in the zone established by the Treaty. The Treaty will therefore apply to American Samoa and Jarvis Island. Under Protocol II, The United States, France, The United Kingdom, The Russian Federation, and China agree not to use or threaten to use nuclear explosive devices against any party to the Treaty or to each others territories located within the zone. Under Protocol III, the United States, France, The United Kingdom, The Russian Federation and China agree not to test nuclear explosive devices within the zone established by the Treaty.
The Treaty was opened for signature on 6 August 1985, in Rarotonga, the largest island in the Cook Islands. All members of the South Pacific Forum are eligible to accede to the Treaty. The Treaty entered into force 11 December 1986. The protocols were opened for signature on 8 August 1986, in Suva, Fiji.
For more in-depth information, please consult the Inventory of Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, which can be found on the CNS website at: http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/.
China and the Treaty of Rarotonga:
China has ratified Protocols 2 and 3 of the Treaty of Rarotonga. China signed the protocols with the understanding that it could reconsider its obligations in the event that other nuclear weapon states or treaty parties violated the treaty and its protocols. Such violations would change the treaty's status and threaten China's security. However, China did not refer to this understanding when it ratified the protocols.
This
material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin
Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the
opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or
its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by
MIIS.
