On May 11, 1995, States Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons decided that the Treaty, known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, should remain in force indefinitely. The NPT entered into force in 1970 with an initial duration of 25 years. The 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference therefore faced two choices: whether the Treaty should be extended, and if so whether it should be for a finite period or indefinitely.
Wisely, NPT Parties decided to extend the Treaty indefinitely, ensuring that the foundation for efforts to stem the spread of nuclear weapons would remain in place. Today, twenty-five years later, we celebrate the wisdom of that decision. Fifty years after it entered into force, the NPT continues to provide a reliable basis for verified nonproliferation assurances that enable international cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear energy and on efforts towards nuclear arms control and disarmament.
