Treaties & arms control
NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty)
The 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which restricts nuclear-weapon possession to five recognized states and obligates them to pursue disarmament.
The NPT recognizes the US, USSR/Russia, UK, France, and China as nuclear-weapon states. 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.
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.