African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty Research Articles

National Implementation and Enforcement of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaties

The act of establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) by a state is a sovereign right protected by Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations and Article VII of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). It is a step towards nuclear disarmament by restricting the areas on earth and in space where such weapons may be freely produced, moved, tested, stationed and used. It is a measure of national security for states that wish to distance their territory and their populations completely from the nuclear arms race, its implications and its effects on development, health and international relations. When the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba) enters into force, probably this year, over half of the earth’s land mass and 119 countries will be protected in such zones.

Treaty of Pelindaba: How different?

Treaty of Pelindaba: How different?

Nuclear weapons‐free zones

In April 1996, the latest agreement on establishing weapons‐free zones, the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (or the Treaty of Pelindaba), was signed in Cairo by more than 40 African nations. By this treaty, African nations pledge not to build, test, bury, or stockpile nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons material. A Washington Post article claimed the treaty was “... a culmination of work which began as a response to French nuclear tests in the Sahara desert in the 1960s ...,” thus typifying how long these weapons‐free zones take to evolve.

The African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (The Treaty of Pelindaba)

The African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (The Treaty of Pelindaba)

The Treaty of Pelindaba: Africa is Nuclear-Weapon-Free

The Treaty of Pelindaba: Africa is Nuclear-Weapon-Free