Signed by the P.M. of India and the
President of Pakistan in 1971, the Agreement had following
provisions :
to normalise relationship between
the two countries,
to withdraw from the territories
seized by them,
communications would be resumed.
Antarctic Treaty : It is an
agreement signed on December 1, 1959 between 12 nations with
an interest in Antarctic. These countries are: Argentina,
Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand,
Norway, South Africa, the erstwhile USSR (CIS), the U.K. and
the US. In all, 39 countries became party to it by 1990 when
Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba,
Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, India, Italy, South Korea, North Korea, the
Netherlands, Papua New. Guinea, Peru, Poland, Romania,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay also acceded to the
treaty. The treaty reserves the Antarctic area south of 60'
south latitude for peaceful purposes, provides for
international cooperation in scientific investigation and
research, and preserves.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
Signed in 1968, NPT came into force
in 1970. Its main points are as follows :
nuclear powers will not transfer
nuclear weapons or control over them to any recipient.
non-nuclear countries agree neither
to receive the weapons nor to manufacture them.
nuclear know-how will be made
available to the non-nuclear states for peaceful purposes.
Originally, for a period of 25 years, NPI was extended
indefinitely in 1995. India, Israel and Pakistan have not
signed the NPI citing various reasons.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
This treaty was approved by US
General Assembly in 1996. India, Iran and Libya voted
against it. India is under constant pressure to sign it.
Indo-Russian Friendship Treaty
This treaty was signed by the then
P.M. of India and the then President of Russia in 1993. Its
main provisions are as follows :
to develop cooperation in
political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, cultural
and other fields.
to promote relations in defence,
commerce, science and technology and culture.
to work together for achievement of
a world without armaments.
to support territorial intensity of
each other.
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
(START-II)
Signed by the then Russian and
American Presidents in 1993, its main provisions are :
to reduce nuclear warheads.
to eliminate all Intercontinental
Ballistic Missiles.
to reduce nuclear warheads at
submarine-based ballistic missiles.
to limit nuclear warheads with
which heavy bombers can be equipped.
Chemical Weapons Convention
The Chemical Weapons Convention
came into force on April 29, 1997. The signatory states have undertaken to destroy existing
stock of chemical weapons by 2007. 164 countries have signed
the convention which was first opened to signature in Paris
on January 13, 1993. About 75 countries have ratified it.
Human Cloning Agreement
On January, 12, 1998, Nineteen European nations signed an
agreement banning human cloning. On January 17, 186 member
states of UNESCO adopted a declaration denouncing human
cloning.
