For the seventh time since it took force in 1970, the world's nations gather Monday to reassess how well the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is keeping the lid on man's most terrible weapons. The delegations from almost 190 governments begin their month-long NPT review at a moment of growing nuclear fear and mistrust in the world. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the conference's leadoff speaker, has warned of a "crisis of confidence" in the nuclear pact. Mohamad ElBaradei, head of the U.N. nuclear agency, who was also addressing the conference opening, has proposed nonproliferation measures in another area: putting nuclear fuel production under multilateral control, by regional or international bodies. The 35-year-old nonproliferation treaty obliges 183 states to forswear nuclear arms in exchange for a pledge by five nuclear powers - the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China - to move toward nuclear disarmament. Three other nuclear-armed states - Israel, India and Pakistan - remain outside the treaty. Treaty reviews take place every five years, and at the 2000 conference the consensus final document committed the five NPT nuclear states to take 13 "practical steps" toward disarmament. The conference president, Brazilian diplomat Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, said Sunday the agenda for the 2005 may not be completed until several days into the sessions, but "everyone is working constructively in that direction."
