International agreements as ...
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One of the most significant treaties in this context is the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adopted in 1968 and joined by 190 countries. The treaty restricts nuclear-armed states and obliges them to pursue disarmament in good faith. At the same time, it requires non-nuclear states to refrain from developing such weapons and to accept comprehensive safeguards with the IAEA over their nuclear material.
Article 4 of the NPT, however, explicitly recognizes the “inalienable right” of all member states to research, develop, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Yet for decades, the atmosphere surrounding nuclear issues has been dominated by suspicion. The pursuit of peaceful nuclear technology by non-nuclear states has been met with distrust and alarm from nuclear-armed nations. The reason lies in the weak structure of the NPT, which is built on discrimination among member states and has been kept deliberately fragile by Western powers. Countries joined the treaty mainly in the hope of benefiting from Article 4, which guaranteed access to peaceful nuclear energy. Although the NPT was originally intended to halt the spread of nuclear weapons, Western powers have used the excuse of proliferation risks to pile on restrictions.
Global policies shaped by the “non-proliferation doctrine,” spearheaded by superpowers such as the United States, have significantly eroded Article 4—particularly the inherent right of member states to peaceful nuclear energy. As former IAEA Board of Governors chairman Bertrand Goldschmidt once noted: “Until the mid-1970s, IAEA safeguards and NPT policies were free of any technical restrictions. At that time, the NPT could be summed up in one sentence: nuclear explosions were banned, and everything else was allowed. Nothing in the treaty prevented member states from pursuing technical paths of their choice.” In other words, before Washington shifted strategy in the 1980s and started clamping down on sensitive nuclear activities, non-nuclear states were entitled to enjoy the full benefits of Article 4 without fear of economic sanctions or military threats. The hardline approach taken by powers like the US has since triggered serious global crises and jeopardized international peace and security.
Despite this, neither the US, nor any of the other eight nuclear-armed states have joined the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted in 2017. The TPNW is the first legally binding international treaty that lays down sweeping bans on every activity related to nuclear arms, from development and testing to possession, stockpiling, use, and threats of use.