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The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a cornerstone of disarmament. The Treaty was designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology with the goal to encourage nuclear disarmament and to implement peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The Treaty was open for signature on 1 July 1968 and entered into force on 5 May 1970. Governments who have ratified the NPT are called Parties to the Treaty; presently, there are 188 Parties to the Treaty. The Treaty distinguishes States into nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States. The five nuclear-weapon States are: United States, United Kingdom, France, Russian Federation and People’s Republic of China. Parties to the Treaty meet every five years at the NPT Review Conference to evaluate progress and plan strategies for the Treaty’s implementation. As a result of the 1995 Review Conference, the Treaty was extended indefinitely and by the end of the Review Conference in 2000, States agreed upon a 13 Point Action Plan, which includes commitments to the total elimination of nuclear arsenals and transparency in disarmament. During the three-year period prior to the Review Conference, States meet for two weeks each year at the Preparatory Committee conference (PrepCom). In preparation for the 2005 Review Conference, States met in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The PrepCom does not produce any official documents, but provides the upcoming Review Conference with useful reports, working papers and other assessment tools. While Non-Governmental Organisations and other civil society groups cannot participate in the Review Conference, they can address Member States during some of the PrepCom meetings. These groups can actively engage in discussions on the current difficulties involving the implementation of the Treaty, as well as concerns regarding the Treaty’s future. As an NGO with ECOSOC status, Franciscans International addressed the delegates of the PrepCom of the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi – the patron saint of peace – Franciscans International urged the delegation “that a renewed NPT include conditions that will render the five nuclear states to: agree to a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty [CTBT]; sign a no-first use agreement; cease the production of weapons-grade fissile material; and strengthen their pledges to aid non-nuclear states threatened by nuclear weapons.” [Full Text]
This year, Franciscans International will closely monitor the 2005 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference with other Non-Governmental Organisations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in May.
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