NORTH KOREA: North Korea's announced withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the first time a signatory has pulled out of the pact.
The objective of the treaty is to halt the spread of nuclear weapons while promoting development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It stipulates nuclear-armed states as those that "manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear device prior to January 1st, 1967". Those are Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
A total of 187 countries have ratified the pact.
Nuclear states are bound not to transfer nuclear weapons or to help non-nuclear states to obtain them. Non-nuclear signatories must neither develop nor acquire such weapons but are given an undertaking to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, monitored by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, several non-signatories to the treaty are, or are believed to be, nuclear weapons states, including India, Pakistan and Israel. South Africa signed up to the treaty in 1991 and had admitted producing nuclear devices until 1970. - (Reuters)