1985 Treaty of Rarotonga

After the deadly bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the world began to see tremendous shifts and advancements with nuclear weapons. The first nuclear weapon free zone in a populated region was the 1967 Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America. The South Pacific islands became a location where the United States, the United Kingdom, and France could test their nuclear weapons between the late 1940s to the 1990s. Atmospheric testing and underground testing was done in the South Pacific area and North Pacific area, and this quickly became an alarming problem for those who lived in the South Pacific. The United Kingdom, with the permission of Australia, did many atmospheric nuclear tests in South Australia between 1952 and 1957. The United States launched many atmospheric tests in the North Pacific, just along the border of the South Pacific. ‘South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and Protocols’, U.S. Department of State. The dumping of radioactive waste into the oceans made the South Pacific states concerned for how it could contaminate and ruin the ocean life. In 1983, Australia decided to bring up the idea of the South Pacific nuclear free zone treaty at the South Pacific Forum meeting that was being held in Canberra. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016. Australia proposed a stop to nuclear testing in the area in order to protect the people, the wildlife, and to further promote peace. Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Fr. Walter Lini rejected the first draft of the treaty stating that it was not 'comprehensive enough'. He also stated later that nothing brought forward in the treaty would stop the United States and Soviet Union vessels from entering through the zone. A. Tairea, ‘An Assessment of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty’, University of Hawaii, 2011. The Solomon Islands who originally had been in agreement with the Treaty at the Rarotonga Forum, later in 1986, called the treaty 'useless'. A. Tairea, ‘An Assessment of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty’, University of Hawaii, 2011.  The Cook Islands who had already ratified the treaty later on in 1986 took a different standing position by threatening to severe the island's ties with the treaty if it restricts American access to the region. A. Tairea, ‘An Assessment of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty’, University of Hawaii, 2011. Papua New Guinea has also shared its concerns and suggested at one point to review its stance on the treaty. A. Tairea, ‘An Assessment of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty’, University of Hawaii, 2011. Australia created a working group to create the text of the treaty and they used the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco, the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, the 1971 Seabed Treaty, the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, and the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty as references to help create the SPNFZ. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016. 

The forum proposed that ships carrying nuclear weapons, or items to create nuclear weapons could not pass by, nor stop at any of the South Pacific states without the consent from the state first. Most of the South Pacific islands, mostly Australia, rely on the United States' ability to still pass ships with nuclear weapons through Australia and near its waters because they are allies. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016. The protocols of the treaty consist of no testing in the zone, manufacturing, storage of nuclear weapons within the zone, and no usage of nuclear weapons against any of the parties signed to the treaty or against any territories that are a weapon free zone. The Treaty of Rarotonga has 13 parties including: Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Western Samoa, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The treaty of the SPNFZ is an indefinite treaty that is permanent in nature. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016. 

• Protocol I calls for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone parties to apply the prohibitions of the treaty respectfully to the territories. On 25 March 1996, the United Kingdom, France and the United States signed the protocol, which allowed the treatie's magnitude to be expanded to the application to American Samoa, Jarvis Island, and the dependent territories of France and the UK. France was the first of the three to ratify Protocol I on 20 September 1996. The United Kingdom signed Protocol I on 19 September 1997. The United States has yet to sign Protocol I. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016.
• Protocol II called for the Nuclear Weapon States to never use nuclear arms to threaten the territories included in the agreement or the territories that belonged to the parties that signed the treaty. The USSR signed Protocol II in 1986, and China in 1987, ratifying it on 21 October 1988. Although the USSR signed this protocol, they did make it clear that although they had come to this agreement, if any of the nuclear weapon states violated the terms of the treaty, the USSR would be free of its non-use commitment as well. This included territories being used in the nuclear free zone by NWS as test sites, loading sites, and docking sites for nuclear weapons, and that the USSR would pull out of the treaty if any states were found guilty of that. The USSR went on to ratify Protocol II eventually with no further statements or problems. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016.
• Protocol III calls that all nuclear weapon states will not be permitted to use or test nuclear explosive devices within the zone that is established by the treaty. The USSR signed Protocol III in 1986, China in 1987. The other three nuclear weapons states went on to sign Protocol III on 25 March 1996. The ratification of Protocol III by the United Sates is still pending. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016. 

Although the United States has signed the protocols, they have not yet ratified any of them. The United States have claimed that their practices and procedures in the South Pacific are not inconsistent with the treaty protocols. The US has said that they will not accept any limitations on their nuclear vessels or any of their nuclear aircraft passing through the region. The Treaty of Rarotonga is one of the best improvements since the Tlatelolco Treaty when it comes to preventing the harmful dumping of nuclear waste in the wildlife and the banning of nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 'South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga', Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2016.