A Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone, or NWFZ is defined by the United Nations as an agreement, generally by internationally recognized treaty, to ban the use, development, or deployment of nuclear weapons in a given area. Additionally, this agreement has mechanisms of verification and control to enforce its obligations.

NWFZs are conceived as incremental measures toward total nuclear disarmament, and have steadily grown in number since the first, governing Antarctica. Today, there are eight recognized zones which have been achieved or are in the process of acceptance. Also, some countries have not signed international treaties, but have outlawed nuclear weapons, like Austria with the Bundesverfassungsgesetz für ein atomfreies Österreich in 1999.

There are also a number of proposed agreements, covering the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula, Central Europe, and South Asia.

A difficulty with the Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone concept is defining suitable zone areas, such that zone neighbours are not considered nuclear threats. For example it was reported in 1996 that no African Arab state will ratify the Treaty of Pelindaba until Israel, which is just outside the zone, renounces its nuclear weapons program; however, Algeria and Libya have since ratified it.

See also

• Nuclear-free zone
• Seabed Arms Control Treaty (bans the emplacement of nuclear weapon systems on the ocean floor)
• Outer Space Treaty (bans placing nuclear weapons in orbit of Earth or otherwise stationing them in outer space)

External resources

• Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones Around the World site about NWFZs run by OPANAL, the organization which monitors the Treaty of Tlatelolco
• Oceans in the Nuclear Age:Nuclear-Free Zones from the Law of the Sea Institute at Boalt School of Law (University of California, Berkeley). Includes treaty texts.
• Nuclear Weapons Free Zones Briefing Paper from Atomic Mirror