Attempts to Reduce and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons through the Nuclear Non‐Proliferation Treaty and the Creation of Nuclear‐Weapon‐Free Zones

Abstract

Nuclear weapons remain the most dangerous weapons of mass destruction threatening our lives and planet. To date, the Nuclear Non‐Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the most comprehensive international agreement aimed at limiting these weapons. In response to some of NPT's shortcomings, a large number of nonnuclear weapon states have joined together to create nuclear‐weapon‐free zones (NWFZs). By doing so, they emphatically rejected nuclear weapons on their soil, in their territorial waters, and in their air space. In addition, they ask nuclear weapon states to solemnly promise not to use nuclear weapons against zone members and to do nothing to promote nuclear weapons in their zones. Currently, much of the Southern Hemisphere is covered by NWFZs. An NWFZ has been newly created in Central Asia, and the League of Arab States is considering one in the Middle East.