ABSTRACT
The nuclear non-proliferation regime—a constellation of international treaties, institutions, codes, and bilateral nuclear trade arrangements—is a major restraint on the spread of nuclear arms. In March 1988, Albania—not a Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory—agreed to place all of its nuclear material and facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. South Korea and other interested states can also be expected to express concerns over North Korea’s refusal to accept IAEA inspections on all of its nuclear activities as required by its ratification of the treaty in 1985. Additional safeguards developments of importance noted in the IAEA report covering 1988 included selected details on new safeguards agreements. The People’s Republic of China, in conjunction with Brazil, agreed in January 1988 to let the IAEA safeguard a joint Brazilian-PRC effort to manufacture reactors fueled by thorium. In June 1990, the IAEA issued a press release commenting on the 1989 Safeguards Implementation Report.
