Postures for non-proliferation. Arms limitation and security policies to minimize nuclear proliferation

In order to design effective policies to minimize the proliferation of nuclear weapons, it is necessary to examine how the arms limitation and security policies of the major states in the international security system - particularly the nuclear weapon states - affect the decisions which non-nuclear weapon states must make concerning whether or not to acquire an independent nuclear weapon capability. The arms limitation and security policies which might minimize the future proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional states are identified, first, by analysing the debate concerning this relationship in the strategic literature on nuclear proliferation; and second, by analysing the discussions concerning this relationship which have gone on between the nuclear weapon states and the non-nuclear weapon states during negotiations on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (the NPT) of 1968 and at the Review Conference of the NPT held in 1975. (author)