Evolution of Non-Proliferation Rule: Acceptable or Unacceptable Proliferation

Discovery and application of atom’s power was the beginning of a new era of human life, a marvelous power susceptible to both destruction and development. The nature of society of sovereign states which assume its only mission self-preservation and realization of national interests and hence anxiety of applying this power as a means of war and destruction amounted to limitation of its military uses while recognizing right to its peaceful uses in 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). By this treaty only 5 countries have been recognized as nuclear state and proliferation of nuclear weapons has been declared absolutely unacceptable. The nature of this treaty and its relevance to maintenance of international peace and security, lack of an interpretive organ in the treaty and changes in international nuclear environment have led to various and, sometimes, conflicting attitudes in implementation of that treaty, attitudes which arise from confusion between institutional international law and relational international law. Thus by understanding law as a process, some speak no longer about non-proliferation but acceptable and unacceptable proliferation.