The NPT at Fifty: Successes and Failures

Abstract

The NPT succeeded in its initial task of preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the potential proliferators considered likely at the time of its entry into force in 1970. Thus, it helped prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to the ten, twenty, twenty-five countries that President John F. Kennedy once feared. It was helped by the establishment of the IAEA comprehensive safeguard system to monitor the nuclear activities of those countries that pledged not to acquire nuclear weapons under the treaty. The NPT, over the years, also succeeded in enticing the second tier countries, thus bringing the treaty to a near universal adherence. This was helped by the strong diplomatic efforts by the United States, and subsequently by the end of the Cold War. However, in the last three decades, the NPT started to show its limits. Clandestine nuclear weapons programs were proceeding in Iraq, Libya and South Africa. During the course inability of the IAEA safeguards in uncovering nuclear weapon programs in a timely fashion became evident. In the area of promoting nuclear disarmament, the NPT cannot claim to be very successful. Even after 50 years of its existence, the achievement of the goal set in Article VI of the treaty has a long way to go. Peaceful use of nuclear energy went vibrant in the past 50 years helped by the IAEA works in the field.