Multilateral diplomacy at the 1995 NPT review and extension conference

On 11 May 1995 the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was extended indefinitely without a vote after almost a month of deliberations amongst states parties at UN headquarters in New York. Thirty-six hours later, in the early hours of Saturday 13 May, the Conference was brought to a close by its President, Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, after last-minute attempts to forge agreement on the review of the Treaty failed. The failure of the Conference to agree a Final Declaration means that it cannot be regarded as an overwhelming success. Nevertheless, an indefinite extension decision reached without resort to a potentially divisive vote was a positive outcome that most, if not all, commentators were far from predicting in the weeks and months leading up to the Conference.