Treaties & arms control
NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)
The 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which recognizes five nuclear-weapon states and obligates them to pursue disarmament.
The 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons recognizes five nuclear-weapon states, defined as those that exploded a nuclear device before 1 January 1967. [1, 2, 3] These are the US, USSR/Russia, UK, France, and China. All other parties commit not to acquire nuclear weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear technology. India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea (which withdrew) operate outside the NPT framework.
Sources
- 1.Source: UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 2.Source: UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, NPT: Text of the Treaty — retrieved Oct 2026
- 3.Source: NUS Centre for International Law, 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — retrieved Oct 2026
Related terms
TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons)
A 2017 UN treaty that prohibits all activities related to nuclear weapons — development, possession, testing, threats of use — for state parties.
CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty)
A 1996 treaty banning all nuclear explosions in all environments, for both military and civilian purposes.