Hello.
Five measures that the U.S. and/or U.N. can take to prevent nuclear
arms proliferation:
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(1) Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
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The U.S. and U.N. should vigorously support ratification of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and make sure that the treaty is
enforced after it is enacted.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear
explosions, for military or civilian purposes. Banning all nuclear
explosions will hinder development of nuclear arms. Computer
simulations are not a perfect substitute for testing. Thus, the CTBT
will hinder other countries efforts to build nuclear weapons by
eliminating testing.
The U.S. Senate should abandon its past objections and proceed with
ratification of the CTBT. Once it is implemented, the U.S. and U.N.
should make sure that the treaty's monitoring system is adequately
funded so that it will be effective. The U.S. should continue to
invest in the research and development of explosion-monitoring
technologies.
More information about the CTBT:
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization:
http://www.ctbto.org/
Why Ratify the CTBT?
Fact Sheet released by the Bureau of Arms Control,
U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, October 8, 1999
http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/factsheets/wmd/nuclear/ctbt/fs_991008_whyctbt.html
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(2) Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaties
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The U.S. and U.N. need to promote and enforce nuclear
non-proliferation treaties (NPTs) in which countries agree to not
build or buy nuclear weapons. The original NPT of 1967 needs to be
strengthened. India and Pakistan have violated it. The U.S. and U.N.
should encourage violators to eliminate their nuclear weapons. The
U.S. and U.N. should also encourage adoption of International Atomic
Energy Agency's Additional Protocol which strengthens that agency's
powers to investigate and verify compliance with nuclear safeguards.
source:
"The NPT is the lynchpin of global nuclear non-proliferation. It rests
on a core partnership between nuclear-weapon states and
non-nuclear-weapon states and their solemn pact to eschew and
eliminate nuclear weapons. This partnership must be reaffirmed if the
treaty is to survive and deal effectively with new proliferation
threats. The NPT was aimed at preventing nuclear proliferation beyond
the five nuclear-weapon states, defined as states which exploded
nuclear devices before January 1 1967. As a consequence, to recognise
India and Pakistan as nuclear-weapon states after their May 1998
nuclear tests would set a dangerous precedent of legitimising nuclear
proliferation. Alternately, to simply ignore their actions and
capabilities might increase the likelihood of arms races and nuclear
crises in the region, and leave open the possibility of nuclear-weapon
technologies being transferred from that region to aspiring
proliferators. Thus NPT parties face crucial questions of how to
secure Indian and Pakistani cooperation with global non-proliferation
efforts without condoning or rewarding nuclear proliferation."
source:
"The Report of the Tokyo Forum for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/disarmament/forum/tokyo9907/report-3.html
Also see: US Department of State: U.S.- lAEA Additional Protocol
http://www.state.gov/t/np/rls/fs/2002/10316.htm
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3) Tightening Control on Fissile Material
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The U.S. and U.N. need to get a better handle on the world's stockpile
of plutonium and highly enriched uranium. Fissile materials are a
necessary component of nuclear weapons. By carefully monitoring (and
ultimately reducing) the world's stockpiles of fissile materials, the
U.S. and U.N. will hinder nuclear proliferation.
"One of the most pressing nuclear proliferation problems facing the
world lies in the sheer amount of stockpiled fissile material for
nuclear weapons, and the problems of keeping it secure and disposing
of it safely and irreversibly. The problem is most acute in Russia and
some other parts of the former Soviet Union. About 3,000 tonnes of
plutonium and highly enriched uranium (HEU) exist in the world, of
which less than one percent is under safeguards of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Two-thirds of the world's plutonium and
highly enriched uranium was produced specifically for military
purposes, and two-thirds of this - about 1,300 tonnes - is now
considered surplus to military requirements.
... all states with unsafeguarded fissile materials - the
nuclear-weapon states and relevant non-NPT states - [should]
voluntarily increase the transparency of their fissile material
stockpiles. Those that have not already done so should begin a process
of internally auditing their stocks. The results from the internal
audits should be published annually."
source:
"The Report of the Tokyo Forum for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/disarmament/forum/tokyo9907/report-3.html
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4) Tighten Nuclear Export Controls
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The U.S. and U.N. need to fortify the Nuclear Suppliers group.
"The Nuclear Suppliers' Group consists of 30 nuclear suppliers and
seeks to control exports of nuclear materials, equipment, and
technology, both dual-use and specially designed and prepared."
source:
Nuclear Suppliers Group
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/nsg/
NSG members should be discourage from exporting potentially dangerous
materials to potentially dangerous countries. Only countries that have
adopted the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol
should be allowed to receive nuclear materials from NSG members.
Additionally, the U.S. and U.N. should strongly encourage major
nuclear suppliers such China and Brazil to become part of the NSG
system.
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5) Stopping Missile Proliferation
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Ballistic missiles are the delivery-system of choice for nuclear
weapons. As such, it is important that the U.S. and U.N. tackle the
problem of missile proliferation. Right now, there's no adequate
multilateral treaty to address the use and development of missiles.
source:
"A comprehensive response to nuclear proliferation must also address
concerns about the spread of ballistic missiles. While there are
treaties prohibiting chemical and biological weapons, and treaties to
stop the proliferation and testing of nuclear weapons, there is no
multilateral treaty specifically regulating missiles. Following flight
tests of long-range missiles by India and Pakistan in April 1999, the
UN Secretary-General stated that international agreements on norms
against the development of ballistic missiles for military purposes
would substantially improve prospects for progress on disarmament and
arms control treaties.
...
One possible approach that merits serious consideration is the
negotiation of a global agreement, or regional agreements, that would
draw upon the provisions of the 1987 US-Soviet INF Treaty.
Multilateralisation of the INF Treaty would have the added specific
benefit of helping reduce threat perceptions in southern Asia without
discriminating against specific countries. Another approach is to work
in bilateral or regional frameworks, particularly in the Middle East,
South Asia and Northeast Asia."
source:
"The Report of the Tokyo Forum for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/disarmament/forum/tokyo9907/report-3.html
Also see:
"MISSILE PROLIFERATION AND THE MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME"
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/arms/missile-en.asp
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Additional sources:
"Can Anything Be Done to Stop States from Going Nuclear?"
http://hnn.us/articles/1447.html
"Curbing Nuclear Proliferation," from armscontrol.org
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_11/ElBaradei_11.asp
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search terms:
"nuclear proliferation", treaties, strategies
"Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty"
"International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol"
"missile proliferation", treaties
I hope this helps. |
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