Abstract
The Treaty on Non‐proliferation of Nuclear Weapons commonly known as the NPT – the centrepiece of the non‐proliferation regime ‐ was opened for signatures in July 1968 and entered into force in March 1970 for a period of 25 years. Built on the three complementary pillars of disarmament, non‐proliferation and promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the treaty has almost universal adherence with 190 member states. However, three important states India, Pakistan and Israel have not subscribed to the treaty and North Korea which had joined the treaty in 1985, revoked its membership in 2003. Article‐ VIII (3) of the treaty stipulates that: “Five years after the entry into force of this Treaty, a conference of Parties to the Treaty shall be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in order to review the operation of this Treaty with a view to assuring that the purposes of the Preamble and the provisions of the Treaty are being realised. At intervals of five years thereafter, a majority of the Parties to the Treaty may obtain, by submitting a proposal to this effect to the Depositary Governments, the convening of further conferences with the same objective of reviewing the operation of the Treaty.”