Arms Control and Disarmament Flashcards
Arms control and Disarmament
Seeking construct more peaceful global arena- reducing threat posed to security of state by other actors
Proliferation
weapon spread- more states, other actors acquire (horizontal) or established nuclear states accumulate (vertical)
Disarmament
Reduce abolish armaments regional or local level to decrease size + capability states armed forces- change nature of gp arena.
Imposed following defeat in conflict, voluntary, regional.
Arms control
Restrain level, character, deployment, use of armaments by states- monitoring weapons that already exist, regulate gp arena. Structural- control number prevent spread to some, Operational- control w/o limiting weapon flow- registers, disclosure of sales
Globalisation impact on weapons
Facilitated spread weapons info and tech to state and non state actors
International Atomic Energy Agency
Independent organisation established 1957 as part of UN family in response to fears following discovery of nuclear energy. Promotes high safety standards, peaceful uses and implements safeguards to verify the dual use technology is not used for military purposes.
Reports annually to UN GA and when appropriate to SC.
2016- budget of 362 million pounds.
168 member states.
IAEA Actions
Plays role pressuring states to join or comply with NPT- in 2002 Cuba joined as a result.
The Additional Protocol proves additional tools for verification of peaceful uses of all nuclear material in states that already have comprehensive safeguards agreements, and is in force in 129 states and euratom.
(SA brought into force 2002 and euratom 2004).
Aids in disarming states that do not comply with the NP- in 2006 together with US Nuclear Security Administration completed removal of all highly enriched uranium from Libya.
Helps prevent nuclear disasters by making plants secure from accidents. If Japan had taken advice from IAEA, Fukushima could have been prevented-in at meeting of G8’s Nuclear Safety and Security Group in Tokyo in 2008 warned a strong earthquake with a magnitude above 7.0 could pose a serious problem for Japan’s nuclear power stations.
IAEA criticisms
Four states have withdrawn including NK in 2003.
Nuclear experts say complicated mandate and constraints imposed by member states mean reforms will not happen quickly or easily.
Member states are not required to comply with recommended safety standards, and some scientists say 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents reveal that the nuclear industry lacks sufficient oversight and that the mandate should be redefined so it can better police nuclear plants worldwide.
Has been a target for protests as an advocate for nuclear power.
Has too much on it’s plate- sole global organisation overseeing nuclear energy industry and weighed down by checking compliance with the NPT.
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
NGO pushing for changes in government polices and practices on addressing the human suffering caused by anti-personnel landmines; aiming to eradicate all landmines.
Led to creation of 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.
162 states party to the conditions largely due to support and pressure from ICBL. 2004, following engagement by ICBL Turkmenistan destroyed tens of thousands of stockpiled mines it initially sought to retain for training.
ICBL-CMC Survivor networks project develops survivors capacities to promote and defend own rights and hold governments accountable to commitments- considerable development in very concept of victim assistance.
35 UN states have not ratified including US, Russia, China- cannot forcibly change state’s policies.
Mine Ban Treaty/Ottawa convention
Adopted 1997, binding international law 1st March 1999.
Bans use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti personnel mines and places obligations on states to clear affected areas, assist victims and destroy stockpiles.
Purpose: end humanitarian crisis caused by weapons which do not discriminate between civilians and combatants and cause unnecessary suffering.
Obligations: within 4 years of joining, destroy all existing stocks and within 10 years all existing mines in ground.
162 ratified
85 completed stockpile destruction- more than 48 million destroyed
29 fulfilled mine clearance obligations
tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of crippling injuries averted- number of casualties recorded annually dropped from 20,000 injured or killed each year in 1990’s to less than 5,000.
31 still to fulfil mine clearance obligations
Despite progress in contaminated areas, still thousands of yearly incidents in some 60 states still affected- 79% of recorded cases civilians, 46% children. 29 states have significant numbers of injured citizens for which they must provide care.
1970 NPT of Nuclear Weapons
Aims to prevent spread of nuclear weapons and further goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament
NN states agree not to receive transfer of nuclear weapons, manufacture or acquire, seek or receive any assistance in manufacturing
N (UK, US, China, Russia, France) states agree not to transfer or assist in manufacturing /acquiring
All undertake to pursue to negotiate in good faith in effective measures relating to nuclear disarmament
All parties have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Successes: 191 states joined, one of the world’s most widely adhered to treaties.
Fails: Israel, India, Pakistan never joined.
NK left in 2003 and developed nuclear weapons and in 2014 found guilty of firing 2 mid range missiles into sea of Japan, inferring testing of artillery to be used for nuclear arms. Although the UNSC condemned, state has since participated in new forms of nuclear testing.
Slow pace of disarmament due to no time frame and states only being obliged to participate. The fact the treaty acknowledged 5 n states has been taken as a sign of special status and decades have gone by without much progress.
Slow progress implementing 1995 resolution on middle east aimed at establishing zone free from nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction
as of October 2016, 12 non nuclear weapons parties have not yet brought into force a comprehensive safeguards agreement and as of early 2016 estimated 15,400 nuclear weapons remained in global stockpiles.
