The NPT is a landmark international agreement that has been in force since 1970. The NPT seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology while promoting cooperation over the peaceful use of nuclear technology. With its central goal being to further nuclear disarmament, 191 parties, including the five nuclear-weapon States (as recognized by the NPT), are parties to the treaty. The international community adopted this treaty as the first significant effort to recognize and reduce the threat that nuclear weapons pose to the world’s security. NAPF remains committed to the goals of the NPT and works with an array of partners to further the nuclear disarmament provisions of the treaty.

The NPT contains provisions that enforce nuclear non-proliferation. Articles I, II, and III prevent nuclear weapons states from transferring to a recipient any nuclear weapons or assisting a non-nuclear weapons state in acquiring such weapons. The treaty requires non-nuclear weapons states to accept International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on nuclear materials they may possess.

Furthermore, Article VI requires all Parties to the treaty to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures in relation to nuclear disarmament. The treaty legally obligates States to comply with Article VI, the provisions that have admittedly not yet been met, more than 50 years since the treaty’s entry into force.

Article VIII requires all states to convene every five years for a review conference of the NPT. In the three years leading up to a review conference, States convene annually for 10 days at Preparatory Committee sessions. Review conferences and their associated PrepComs ensure that the NPT remains viable and active amongst the Parties to the treaty.

In close cooperation with a wide range of states and NGOs, our organization regularly attends and participates in NPT Review Conferences and their associated Preparatory Committees, including during the 2023 NPT PrepCom in Vienna and the 2024 NPT PrepCom in Geneva. At such meetings, NAPF team members and interns deliver statements, organize and participate in side events, and engage with states in bilateral and multilateral meetings.