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Each NWFZ treaty annexes protocols to the treaty's
provision. These protocols contain the obligations and rights of non-regional
states. These states are nuclear weapon states, and states which have
jurisdiction over territories located within the zone of application such as
colonial possessions.
Protocols to NWFZ treaties mainly consist of the
following components:
- Nuclear weapon states must provide
negative security assurances to regional
parties, including commitment not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons
against regional state parties
- Non-regional states which may have jurisdiction over territories located
within the zone of application such as colonial possessions must accept the
basic obligations concerning nuclear weapons that are assumed by regional state
parties
- Nuclear weapons states are prohibited from testing within the zone of
application.
Establishing NWFZs contributes to the
strengthening of regional security and confidence-building. In addition, NWFZ
treaties promote cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and for nuclear
safety and security. They also promote cooperation in dealing with
environmental and other problems related to nuclear materials, facilities, and
activities.
NWFZ treaties also work as a complementary tool to the NPT.
While the NPT does not prohibit deployment of nuclear weapons possessed by
nuclear weapon states inside the territories of non-nuclear weapon states, NWFZ
agreements prohibit the deployment of nuclear weapons in NWFZs. Moreover,
obtaining negative security assurances from nuclear weapon states is a
significant benefit of NWFZ treaties. Under the NPT, no such security assurances
have been guaranteed to non-nuclear weapon states.
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