On September 8, the five Central Asian states signs a treaty
establishing a Central Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (CANWFZ)
in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.
On October 9, North Korea tests its first nuclear device.
There was no immediate confirmation of the magnitude of the explosion,
but seismological readings in South Korea suggest a reading of 3.5 on
the Richter scale, suggesting a test of less than one kiloton.
On Dec 4 2006, British Prime Minister Tony Blair presents a paper,
"The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent" to Parliament
that urges legislators to retain Britain’s nuclear capacity. He proposes
a plan to replace Britain’s four nuclear-powered submarines equipped
with Trident D5 nuclear missiles with new generation submarines that
will cost as much as $40 billion. Britain’s existing submarines are
scheduled to go out of service in 2022, and the country has been debating
whether to retain any nuclear deterrent.
On Dec 23 2006, the UN Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution
1737 calling on Iran to suspend all proliferation sensitive nuclear
activities, including those related to uranium enrichment, plutonium
reprocessing, and the development of nuclear weapons delivery systems.
The Council mandates that all states prevent the transfer to Iran of
materials, equipment, technical and financial assistance that could
contribute to these activities. The resolution urges a negotiated,
diplomatic solution to ending Iran’s proliferation sensitive nuclear
activities.