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Treaty of Rarotonga

April 10, 2024

21°13′42.8″S 159°46′35.5″W / 21.228556°S 159.776528°W / -21.228556; -159.776528

Treaty of Rarotonga
South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty
  Signed and ratified Treaty of Rarotonga
Typenuclear disarmament
Signed6 August 1985
LocationRarotonga, Cook Islands
Effective11 December 1986
Parties13
     Nuclear-weapon-free zones      NW states      Nuclear sharing      NPT only

The Treaty of Rarotonga is the common name for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which formalises a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific. The treaty bans the use, testing, and possession of nuclear weapons within the borders of the zone.[1][2]

It was signed by the South Pacific nations of Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu on the island of Rarotonga (where the capital of the Cook Islands is located) on 6 August 1985, came into force on 11 December 1986 with the 8th ratification, and has since been ratified by all of those states.

The Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau are not party to the treaties but are eligible to become parties should they decide to join the treaty in the future.

Protocols binding other states edit

There are three protocols to the treaty, which have been signed by the five declared nuclear states, with the exception of Protocol 1 for China and Russia who have no territory in the Zone.

  1. no manufacture, stationing or testing in their territories within the Zone
  2. no use against the Parties to the Treaty, or against territories where Protocol 1 is in force
  3. no testing within the Zone

In 1996 France and the United Kingdom signed and ratified the three protocols. The United States signed them the same year but has not ratified them. China signed and ratified protocols 2 and 3 in 1987. Russia has also ratified protocols 2 and 3 with reservations.[3]

Scope of applicability edit

 
High seas highlighted in blue.

The treaty's different provisions apply variously to the Zone, to the territories within the Zone, or globally.

"South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone" means the area :

plus three projections north of the Equator to include the territory and territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, Nauru, and Kiribati, but minus the northwest corner beyond Australian territorial waters and near Indonesia (and the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone).

Several islands in the Indian Ocean also belong to Australia and are therefore part of the zone.

"Territory" means internal waters, territorial sea and archipelagic waters, the seabed and subsoil beneath, the land territory and the airspace above them. It does not include international waters. Article 2 says "Nothing in this Treaty shall prejudice or in any way affect the rights, or the exercise of the rights, of any State under international law with regard to freedom of the seas."

The Treaty is an agreement between nation-states and as such of course cannot apply to those who have not signed the treaty or protocols, for example, the four countries not signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, who are all nuclear powers.

List of parties and territories edit

State Signed Deposited
  Australia 6 Sep 1985 11 Dec 1986
  Cook Islands 6 Sep 1985 28 Oct 1985
  Fiji 6 Sep 1985 4 Oct 1985
  Kiribati 6 Sep 1985 28 Oct 1985
  Nauru 17 Jul 1986 13 May 1987
  New Zealand 6 Sep 1985 13 Nov 1986
  Niue 6 Sep 1985 12 May 1986
  Papua New Guinea 16 Sep 1985 15 Sep 1989
  Samoa 6 Sep 1985 20 Oct 1986
  Solomon Islands 29 May 1987 27 Jan 1989
  Tonga 2 Jul 1996 18 Dec 2000
  Tuvalu 6 Sep 1985 16 Jan 1986
  Vanuatu 16 Sep 1995 9 Feb 1996

Carrying of nuclear weapons within the zone edit

U.S. bomber aircraft have been visiting Australia since the early 1980s, and nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2s operate regularly out of northern Australia. When U.S. bombers visit Australia, the U.S. government does not tell the Australian government whether the aircraft are carrying nuclear weapons. In 2023, the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian Government "understand[s] and respect[s] the longstanding US policy of neither confirming or denying".[5] 

References edit

  1. ^ "South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga)" (PDF). Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  2. ^ "South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga | Treaties & Regimes | NTI". www.nti.org. Nuclear Threat Initiative | NTI. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  3. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Disarmament Treaties Database: Treaty of Rarotonga". disarmament.un.org. UNODA – United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs.
  5. ^ Greene, Andrew (15 February 2023). "Officials can neither 'confirm nor deny' US bombers in Australia carry nuclear weapons". ABC News. Retrieved 16 February 2023.

External links edit

  • Text of the treaty – FAS
  • Ratification status 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  • Map of the Zone area (poor quality) 27 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine

April 10, 2024
treaty, rarotonga, 228556, 776528, 228556, 776528, south, pacific, nuclear, free, zone, treaty, signed, ratified, typenuclear, disarmamentsigned6, august, 1985locationrarotonga, cook, islandseffective11, december, 1986parties13, nuclear, weapon, free, zones, s. 21 13 42 8 S 159 46 35 5 W 21 228556 S 159 776528 W 21 228556 159 776528 Treaty of RarotongaSouth Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty Signed and ratified Treaty of RarotongaTypenuclear disarmamentSigned6 August 1985LocationRarotonga Cook IslandsEffective11 December 1986Parties13 Nuclear weapon free zones NW states Nuclear sharing NPT onlyThe Treaty of Rarotonga is the common name for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty which formalises a nuclear weapon free zone in the South Pacific The treaty bans the use testing and possession of nuclear weapons within the borders of the zone 1 2 It was signed by the South Pacific nations of Australia the Cook Islands Fiji Kiribati Nauru New Zealand Niue Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu and Vanuatu on the island of Rarotonga where the capital of the Cook Islands is located on 6 August 1985 came into force on 11 December 1986 with the 8th ratification and has since been ratified by all of those states The Marshall Islands the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau are not party to the treaties but are eligible to become parties should they decide to join the treaty in the future Contents 1 Protocols binding other states 2 Scope of applicability 3 List of parties and territories 4 Carrying of nuclear weapons within the zone 5 References 6 External linksProtocols binding other states editThere are three protocols to the treaty which have been signed by the five declared nuclear states with the exception of Protocol 1 for China and Russia who have no territory in the Zone no manufacture stationing or testing in their territories within the Zone no use against the Parties to the Treaty or against territories where Protocol 1 is in force no testing within the ZoneIn 1996 France and the United Kingdom signed and ratified the three protocols The United States signed them the same year but has not ratified them China signed and ratified protocols 2 and 3 in 1987 Russia has also ratified protocols 2 and 3 with reservations 3 Scope of applicability edit nbsp High seas highlighted in blue The treaty s different provisions apply variously to the Zone to the territories within the Zone or globally South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone means the area south of the Equator north of the 60th parallel south the northern limit of the Antarctic Treaty zone east of the 115th meridian east west of the 115th meridian west the western limit of the Treaty of Tlatelolco Latin American Nuclear Weapon Free Zone plus three projections north of the Equator to include the territory and territorial waters of Papua New Guinea Nauru and Kiribati but minus the northwest corner beyond Australian territorial waters and near Indonesia and the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Several islands in the Indian Ocean also belong to Australia and are therefore part of the zone Territory means internal waters territorial sea and archipelagic waters the seabed and subsoil beneath the land territory and the airspace above them It does not include international waters Article 2 says Nothing in this Treaty shall prejudice or in any way affect the rights or the exercise of the rights of any State under international law with regard to freedom of the seas The Treaty is an agreement between nation states and as such of course cannot apply to those who have not signed the treaty or protocols for example the four countries not signatories to the Non Proliferation Treaty who are all nuclear powers List of parties and territories editThe only territory north of the Equator that is part of the Zone is in Kiribati the only state straddling the Equator Micronesia is outside the Zone except for Kiribati Melanesia is inside the Zone except for Western New Guinea a part of Indonesia which is in the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Polynesia is inside the Zone except for Easter Island which is in the Latin American Nuclear Weapon Free Zone the Polynesian outliers of Kapingamarangi and Nukuoro in Micronesia Hawaii American Samoa and several uninhabited United States Minor Outlying Islands 4 State Signed Deposited nbsp Australia 6 Sep 1985 11 Dec 1986 nbsp Cook Islands 6 Sep 1985 28 Oct 1985 nbsp Fiji 6 Sep 1985 4 Oct 1985 nbsp Kiribati 6 Sep 1985 28 Oct 1985 nbsp Nauru 17 Jul 1986 13 May 1987 nbsp New Zealand 6 Sep 1985 13 Nov 1986 nbsp Niue 6 Sep 1985 12 May 1986 nbsp Papua New Guinea 16 Sep 1985 15 Sep 1989 nbsp Samoa 6 Sep 1985 20 Oct 1986 nbsp Solomon Islands 29 May 1987 27 Jan 1989 nbsp Tonga 2 Jul 1996 18 Dec 2000 nbsp Tuvalu 6 Sep 1985 16 Jan 1986 nbsp Vanuatu 16 Sep 1995 9 Feb 1996Territory StateAshmore and Cartier Islands nbsp AustraliaChristmas Island nbsp AustraliaCocos Keeling Islands nbsp AustraliaCoral Sea Islands nbsp AustraliaHeard Island and McDonald Islands nbsp AustraliaNorfolk Island nbsp AustraliaFrench Polynesia nbsp FranceNew Caledonia nbsp FranceWallis and Futuna nbsp FranceTokelau nbsp New ZealandPitcairn Islands nbsp United KingdomCarrying of nuclear weapons within the zone editU S bomber aircraft have been visiting Australia since the early 1980s and nuclear capable B 52s and B 2s operate regularly out of northern Australia When U S bombers visit Australia the U S government does not tell the Australian government whether the aircraft are carrying nuclear weapons In 2023 the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian Government understand s and respect s the longstanding US policy of neither confirming or denying 5 References edit South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty Treaty of Rarotonga PDF Retrieved 26 December 2012 South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone SPNFZ Treaty of Rarotonga Treaties amp Regimes NTI www nti org Nuclear Threat Initiative NTI Retrieved 5 November 2016 Ratifications PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Disarmament Treaties Database Treaty of Rarotonga disarmament un org UNODA United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs Greene Andrew 15 February 2023 Officials can neither confirm nor deny US bombers in Australia carry nuclear weapons ABC News Retrieved 16 February 2023 External links editText of the treaty FAS Ratification status Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Map of the Zone area poor quality Archived 27 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Treaty of Rarotonga amp oldid 1187983179, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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