- Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone
The
Central Asia nNuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ) treaty is a legally binding commitment byKazakhstan ,Kyrgyzstan ,Tajikistan ,Turkmenistan , andUzbekistan not to manufacture, acquire, test, or possess nuclear weapons. The treaty was signed on8 September 2006 atSemipalatinsk Test Site , Kazakhstan.So far, the Treaty was ratified by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, [cite web|title=Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ) At a Glance|url=http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/nwfz.asp|date=November 2007|author=Peter Crail and Daryl G. Kimball|publisher=Arms Control Association] and Turkmenistan [ [http://www.nti.org/e_research/official_docs/inventory/pdfs/canwz.pdf The Central Asian Nwfz Initiative ] ] .
History
Steps towards the establishment of such a zone began with the
Almaty Declaration [http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/shared/canwfz/almatdec.htm] in 1992. A resolution calling for the establishment of such a zone was adopted by consensus by theUnited Nations General Assembly in 1997UN document |docid=A-RES-52-38 |type=Resolution |body=General Assembly |session=52 |resolution_number=38 |page=29 |accessdate=2007-10-20|date=9 December 1997 ] and reaffirmed in 2000.UN document |docid=A-RES-55-33 |type=Resolution |body=General Assembly |session=55 |resolution_number=33 |page=39 |accessdate=2007-10-20|date=20 December 2000 ]Mindful of the lack of support by the nuclear powers for a similar
Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty , the five permanent members of the Security Council were involved in the negotiations.While
Russia andChina approved of the treaty,United States ,France andUnited Kingdom objected to a clause which stated that the Treaty would not affect the rights and obligations of the signatories under previous international agreements because of the already existentTashkent Treaty which involvedRussia .cite web|title=Central Asian States Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Despite U.S. Opposition|url=http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/060905.htm|date=5 September 2006 |author=Scott Parrish and William Potter|publisher=James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies]The United States also objected on principle to establishment of any zone disturbing "existing security arrangements to the detriment of regional and international security or otherwise abridg [ing] the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense guaranteed in the UN charter". [cite web|url=http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/shared/canwfz/usstate.htm|title=Remarks of U. S. Delegation to the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Conference Tashkent, Uzbekistan|date=
15 September 1997 |publisher=The Nuclear Threat Inititiative ]The United States also objected to possibility that
Iran could apply to join the Treaty, so this provision was removed.The
United States ,United Kingdom , andFrance were finally concerned about the possibility that the Treaty could forbid the transit of nuclear weapons through the territory.In spite of attempts by
United States ,United Kingdom , andFrance to block the Treaty, it was finally signed in September 2006, although they voted against the General Assembly Resolution which welcomed the signing of the treaty in December 2006. [ UN document |docid=A-61-PV.67 |body=General Assembly |type=Verbotim Report |session=61 |meeting=67 |page=29 |anchor=pg029-bk05 |date=6 December 2006 |meetingtime=15:00 |accessdate=2007-10-20 ]List of states
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Participation in the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treatyee also
*
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone References
ources
* [http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2006/central_asia.html IAEA report]
* [http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/060905.htm Monterey Institute of International Studies - Center for Nonproliferation Studies]
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