Treaty of Rarotonga

The Treaty of Rarotonga is the common name for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which formalises a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific.

The treaty bans the use, testing, and possession of nuclear weapons within the borders of the zone.

In 1996 France and the United Kingdom signed and ratified the three protocols.

"South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone" means the area : plus three projections north of the Equator to include the territory and territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, Nauru, and Kiribati, but minus the northwest corner beyond Australian territorial waters and near Indonesia (and the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone).

Several islands in the Indian Ocean also belong to Australia and are therefore part of the zone.

High seas highlighted in blue.