Treaty on the non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and review of its operation

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly referred to as the non-proliferation Treaty, was concluded in 1968, at a time when five Powers, the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France and China, had already achieved nuclear-weapon status. The Treaty entered into force on 5 March 1970. Since then, it has been widely considered the main instrument to avert the further spread of nuclear weapons, that is, their acquisition by additional countries. It thus forms the centrepiece of what is known as the international non-proliferation regime, a system of treaties, accords and safeguards on nuclear energy which provides the Treaty’s broader framework.