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What
is the Non-Proliferation Treaty?
 he
NPT embodies
the international community's efforts to prevent the further spread
of nuclear weapons and its aspirations for global disarmament. It also
facilitates cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. For these reasons,
the NPT is generally recognized as the foundation of the international
nuclear nonproliferation regime.
The NPT took effect
on March 5, 1970, after being opened for signature on July 1, 1968.
The growth in the treaty's membership toward universality has been steady.
Beginning with 43 original parties in 1970, membership increased to
96 in 1975, 132 in 1985, and 178 in 1995. By July 1998, 187 parties
had joined the NPT. Cuba acceded to the treaty on November 4, 2002,
thereby becoming the 188th party to the NPT. More countries have
ratified the NPT than any other arms control or disarmament agreement in
history. As of April 2004, only three states have not signed the
treaty: India, Israel, and Pakistan. Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK, also known as North Korea) announced its withdrawal from
the NPT on January 10, 2003, and its withdrawal came into effect on
April 10, 2003.
Multimedia: Membership Growth
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