The Signing of the U.S.-India Agreement Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jörn Müller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Goettingen Journal of International Law e.V. 2009-02-01
Series:Göttingen Journal of International Law
Online Access:http://gojil.uni-goettingen.de/ojs/index.php/gojil/article/view/26
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Summary:<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:KO;} p.MsoFootnoteText, li.MsoFootnoteText, div.MsoFootnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:21.25pt; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:-21.25pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:KO;} span.MsoFootnoteReference {mso-style-name:"Fußnotenzeichen,Footnote Reference 1a"; mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.ArticleText, li.ArticleText, div.ArticleText {mso-style-name:"Article Text"; mso-style-update:auto; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-indent:1.0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:KO;} /* Page Definitions */ @page {mso-footnote-separator:url("file:///C:/DOKUME~1/mlippold/LOKALE~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") fs; mso-footnote-continuation-separator:url("file:///C:/DOKUME~1/mlippold/LOKALE~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") fcs; mso-endnote-separator:url("file:///C:/DOKUME~1/mlippold/LOKALE~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") es; mso-endnote-continuation-separator:url("file:///C:/DOKUME~1/mlippold/LOKALE~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") ecs;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 2.0cm 70.85pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="ArticleText"><span lang="EN-GB">On 10 October 2008, the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Indian Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee signed the “Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of India Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy” (hereafter: US-India Agreement).<a name="_ftnref1" href="#_ftn1"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;" lang="EN-GB">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="ArticleText"><span lang="EN-GB">The text of the US-India Agreement had been agreed upon in summer 2007; the text was released on 3 August 2007. Preliminary assessments were mixed: Some scholars were highly critical, going so far as dubbing it a “debilitating blow to the non-proliferation regime”.<a name="_Ref214634481"></a><a name="_ftnref2" href="#_ftn2"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;" lang="EN-GB">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a> Others saw the deal more favourably, pointing to a possible strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime through a better integration of India.<a name="_Ref214199553"></a><a name="_ftnref3" href="#_ftn3"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;" lang="EN-GB">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a> However, although the terms of the US-India Agreement have been known for some time, its impact depended on several other decisions that had to be made prior to its formal entry into force. In particular, India had to negotiate a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Agency (IAEA). In addition, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) had to approve the US-India Agreement. Moreover, domestic approval both within India and the United States had to be reached. Several early commentators correctly pointed out that there was still room for possible modifications of the Agreement.<a name="_ftnref4" href="#_ftn4"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;" lang="EN-GB">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Moreover, it was entirely possible that the Agreement would be defeated altogether.<a name="_Ref214385647"></a><a name="_ftnref5" href="#_ftn5"><span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;" lang="EN-GB">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="ArticleText"><span lang="EN-GB">Now that all milestones have been reached and the Agreement has been formally concluded, this note will outline its background and its contents and give a brief assessment of its compatibility with and its impact on the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The first part of the note<strong> </strong>will give a short overview of the international non-proliferation regime relevant for the US-India Agreement. The second part will deal with the evolution of the Agreement and will give some background information on the Indian nuclear program. The third part will give a preliminary assessment of the Agreement’s impact on the global non-proliferation regime.</span></p> <div><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br /> <hr size="1" /><!--[endif]--> <div id="ftn1"><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a name="_ftn1" href="#_ftnref1"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;" lang="EN-GB">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> <span>       </span>The agreement is available in full text at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/ aug/90050.htm (last visited 5 November 2008). It is also sometimes termed as “123 Agreement”, referring to section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954, Pub. L. 109-401, 68 Stat. 919, which lays down the requirements under US domestic law for nuclear cooperation with other States.</span></p></div> <div id="ftn2"><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a name="_ftn2" href="#_ftnref2"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> <span>       </span><em>Kesav Murthy Wable</em>, The U.S.-India Strategic Nuclear Partnership: A Debilitating Blow to the Non-Proliferation Regime, Brooklyn Journal of International Law 33 (2008) 719-759.</span></p></div> <div id="ftn3"><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a name="_ftn3" href="#_ftnref3"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> <span>       </span><em>Kate Heinzelman</em>, Towards Common Interests and Responsibilities: The U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Deal and the International Nonproliferation Regime, Yale Journal of International Law 33 (2008) 447-478, 449.</span></p></div> <div id="ftn4"><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a name="_ftn4" href="#_ftnref4"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><em><span lang="EN-GB"> <span>       </span></span></em><span lang="EN-GB">Id.</span><span lang="EN-GB">, 472-478; <em>Oliver Meier</em>, The US-India Nuclear Deal: The End of Universal Non-Proliferation Efforts?, Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft (2006) 4, 28-43, 38-41.</span></p></div> <div id="ftn5"><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a name="_ftn5" href="#_ftnref5"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: ";Times New Roman";;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> <span>       </span><em>Leonard Weiss</em>, U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation. </span>Better Later than Sooner, Nonproliferation Review 14 (2007) 429-457, 452; <em>Harald Müller & Carsten Rauch</em>, Der Atomdeal. Die indisch-amerikanische Nuklearkooperation und ihre Auswirkung auf das globale Nichtverbreitungsregime (2007), 23. <span lang="EN-GB">Especially domestic approval in India turned out to be difficult, yet was finally achieved in summer 2008.</span></p></div></div>
ISSN:1868-1581