Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
| Treaty and Year | Signatories | Comments | Status |
|
| |||
| North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 1949 | Original: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, UK, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the US. Added later: Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain. | First nuclear alliance. US provides "security" assurances including possible first use of nuclear weapons. | Expanding |
| Warsaw Pact, 1955 | Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and USSR. | Soviet response to NATO | Dissolved in July 1991 |
|
Bilateral Security Agreements | |||
| US-Japan Security Treaty, 1952 | US, Japan | Similar "security" assurances as NATO | In force |
|
Restraint on Use or Development | |||
| Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT), 1963 | US, USSR, UK. France and China are not signatories. | Banned all but underground nuclear explosions. | Attempts to make this a comprehensive ban failed. |
| Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 1968 | US, USSR (Russia), UK, France, China are signatories. India, Pakistan, and Israel are not. Total signatories: 185 (as of Jan. 1997). \ | Limits ownership of nuclear weapons to five states, requires progress on nuclear disarmament, promotes commercial nuclear technologies, permits "peaceful nuclear explosions." | Extended indefinitely in 1995 |
| Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty I (SALT I) 1972 | US, USSR | Limits nuclear weapons, but allowed for some arsenal expansion. | Ratified and implemented. |
| Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), 1972 Protocol, 1974 | US, USSR | Bans development of more than one anti-ballistic missile system. Bans development of space-based systems. | US wants to loosen to allow certain space-based anti-missile systems. |
| Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), 1974 | US, USSR | Limits nuclear explosions to 150 kilotons | |
| Underground Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty (PNE), 1976 | US, USSR | Governs n. explosions outside declared test sties. Limits yield to 100 kt. No use of data for weapons purposes. | Entered into force Dec. 1990 |
| SALT II 1979 | US, USSR | Increasing limits on ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers. Other limits on MIRVs, bombers with long-range missiles, and MIRVed ICBMs. | Was to remain in effect through 1985. Not ratified. |
| Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) 1987 | US, USSR | Bans intermediate range and shorter-range missiles | Entered into force June, 1988. |
| Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), 1991, 1992 | US, USSR | Limits number of heavy bombers, ICBMs and SLBMs; also limits ICBM and SLBM launchers and warheads. | In force. Most reductions in Russia due to removal of warheads in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. |
| START II 1993 | US, Russia | Limits US and Russian strategic arsenals to 3,500 warheads (tactical and spares not included). | US ratified 1996; Russia not yet ratified citing, in part, NATO expansion and US ballistic missile defense program. Implementation period extended to 2007. |
| Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) 1996 | Signed by 150 countries, including five major nuclear powers and Israel. Ratified by 20 countries (as of 9/98), but not yet by US, Russia, or China. | Bans all nuclear explosions, including "peaceful nuclear explosions." Objections raised over allowances for computer-based and subcritical testing. | India, Pakistan and North Korea are not yet signatories. Their signatures and ratification are required for entry into force. |
| START III (framework agreement only), 1997 | US, Russia | If implemented, it would reduce strategic weapons to 2,000 - 2,500 | In early stages of discussion. Stalled by US as Russia has not yet ratified START II. |
|
Restrictive Treaties and Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZ) | |||
| Antarctic Treaty 1959 | 12 signatories, including France, US, UK, USSR. China and India acceded in 1983. | Prohibits nuclear explosions and disposal of radioactive waste on Antarctica, subject to future agreements. Peaceful uses OK. | In force |
| Outer Space Treaty 1967 | Signed, ratified by US, UK, USSR, France, India, 58 other coun-tries. China acceded in 1983. | Prohibits nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction from being placed in space (including Earth orbit). Peaceful uses OK. | In force |
| Treaty of Tlatelolco
(Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America) 1967 | Begun by Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador. 29 regional signatories, US party to Protocols I and II. | Prohibits testing, production, possession or acquisition of n. weapons in Latin Am. Protocol I: states with territorial interests keep Latin Am. n. weapon-free zone. Protocol II: NWS parties to treaty cannot "use or threaten to use" n. weapons against parties to protocol. | First to exclude n. weapons from inhabited region of globe. |
| Seabed Treaty 1971 | Ratified by US, UK, USSR. China acceded in 1991. France did not sign. 66 states ratified. | Prohibits placement of n. weapons or weapons of mass destruction on seabed and ocean floor beyond a 12-mile coastal zone. | Entered into force in 1972. Multiple review conferences have upheld the treaty. |
| South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone
(Treaty of Rarotonga), 1985 | Protocols I, II, and III signed by US, UK, France in 1996. | Prohibits manufacture, possession or testing of nuclear devices, prohibits dumping of nuclear waste. | Entered into force in 1986. Russia (1986) and China (1987) acceded to protocols II and III. |
| Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (Treaty of Bangkok), 1995 | Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. | Prohibits development, testing, stationing, transport, manufacture, possession of n. weapons. Also prohibits dumping n. waste. Allows n. energy ("peaceful use"). | Entered into force in 1997, but US, UK, Russia, France, China do not support it. |
| African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (Treaty of Pelendaba), 1996 | 49 regional signatories. US, France, UK, Russia China signatories to Protocols I and II -- France to Protocol III. | Prohibits all nuclear weapons in NWFZ, and requires destruction of any existing nuclear devices. Calls for NWS to provide negative security assurances. | Not yet ratified. |
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Mutual Defense Treaties | |||
| Australia, New Zealand-US (ANZUS), 1951 | Australia, New Zealand, US. | Nuclear security guarantee to NZ, Australia. | Effective, 1952. NZ n. weapons free law enacted in 1984. US suspended security obligations to NZ in 1986. |
Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
Comments to :Outreach Coordinator: ieer@ieer.org
Takoma Park, Maryland, USA
October, 1998