§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What internationally designated nuclear-free zones exist; whether further such zones are proposed; and whether the nuclear powers have all undertaken not to use nuclear weapons against countries in such zones.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)The Latin America Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ) was established in 1967 by the Treaty of Tlatelolco; the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone in 1985 (Treaty of Rarotonga); the South East Asian NWFZ in 1995 (Treaty of Bangkok); and the African NWFZ in April 1996 (Treaty of Pelindaba).
Other possible NWFZs which have been subject to recent UNGA resolutions include zones in South Asia and the Middle East. In line with the Principles and Objectives document agreed at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, the UK supports the establishment of nuclear weapon free zones on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the states concerned.
Under the existing NWFZ treaties, signatories within the zones undertake not to develop, manufacture, acquire or possess nuclear weapons and those Nuclear Weapon States which have ratified the relevant protocols undertake not to use or threaten to use nuclear explosive devices against them. All five Nuclear Weapon States have ratified the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and signed those to the Treaty of Rarotonga. The UK, US, France and China have signed the relevant protocols to the Treaty of Pelindaba. In adhering to these protocols, the UK has made clear that we will not be bound by our undertaking in the case of an invasion or other attack on us, our dependent territories, our allies or a state to which we have a security commitment which has been carried out or sustained by a party to one of the treaties in association or alliance with a Nuclear Weapon State. France has stated that the protocols will not undermine its right to self defence as recognised in Article 51 of the UN Charter.