The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the single most important treaty covering nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. This learning unit introduces the NPT and discusses its political, legal and historical dimensions.

After completing this unit, you will:

• understand the origins of the nuclear bomb, the nuclear arms race, the need for nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, and have a grasp of the process leading to the NPT and its rationale;
• know the basic requirements and undertakings of the three pillars of the NPT:
  • Nuclear non-proliferation
  • Peaceful uses of nuclear energy
  • Nuclear disarmament;
• understand the structure and role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the functioning of its safeguard system;
• understand the difficulties in implementing the disarmament pillar and the divergent interests between nuclear weapon states (NWS) and non-nuclear weapon states;
• have an overview of the peaceful uses of the nuclear energy pillar;
• understand the civilian applications of nuclear energy and the new developments in the sector;
• understand the main provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): nuclear sharing, implementation of safeguards, compliance, enforcement, transparency, universality, nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ), and its relationship to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW);
• have a clear idea of the rationale and process of the NPT review cycle and its evolution since 1995;
• understand the issue of NPT withdrawal, its controversies and its process; and
• grasp the role of the EU in the NPT framework, its milestones and challenges