The paper is a historical review of the negotiations that led to the conclusion of the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Seabed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof, opened for signature at Washington, London, and Moscow on February 11, 1971. It is based on the records of international conferences, the United Nations, and other public documents. Abbreviations are explained in a separate list.

This book provides, for the first time in a single publication, a collection of basic documents relating to the international law of nuclear energy. The series of introductions facilitate the understanding of the documents & their context. They embrace the four concerns associated with the safe & peaceful use of nuclear energy, i.e. to ensure: that nuclear energy is used in conformity with basic safety standards; that nuclear material & nuclear facilities are protected against theft & sabotage; that nuclear facilities are not subject to attack during armed conflict; & that nuclear material & facilities are not used for military purposes. The book is an invaluable reference work for all those working in the field of international nuclear law & the regulation of the use of nuclear energy as well as for teachers & students of law.