us signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1968.
us signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1968.
when did the us sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty?
1968
within the framework of the united nations, the principle of nuclear non-proliferation was addressed in negotiations as early as 1957. the npt process was launched by frank aiken, irish minister for external affairs, in 1958. the npt gained significant momentum in the early 1960s. the structure of a treaty to uphold nuclear non-proliferation as a norm of international behaviour had become clear by the mid-1960s, and by 1968 final agreement had been reached on a treaty that would prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, enable cooperation for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. it was opened for signature in 1968, with finland the first state to sign. accession became nearly universal after the end of the cold war and of south african apartheid. in 1992, china and france acceded to the npt, the last of the five nuclear powers recognized by the treaty to do so.
treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
on june 9, 1998, an 18-point declaration entitled "a nuclear-weapons-free world: the need for a new agenda" was signed by the governments of the eight nations of brazil, egypt, ireland, mexico, new zealand, slovenia, south africa, and sweden to shape foreign policy around the goal of "the elimination of nuclear weapons and assurance that they will never be produced again." of particular concern to the signatories are the states who have refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. the nuclear free world policy is considered by many and in the text of the agreement to be a "fundamental and requisite step" following from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. new zealand's stand on nuclear issues was a step on the way towards the nuclear free world policy.
new agenda coalition