Treaties & Regimes
Below you will find information on treaties, organizations, and regimes relating to disarmament, arms control, and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Information on each treaty or organization includes relevant full text documents, country memberships, an analytical overview, and a chronology tracking ongoing work and related developments. All entries are updated regularly, as events warrant. This material was prepared for the NTI site by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
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Multilateral
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Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons (BTWC)
The treaty prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, or acquisition of biological and toxin weapons, and mandates the elimination of existing weapons, weapons production material, and delivery means.
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Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous, or Other Gasses, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare (Geneva Protocol)
The Geneva Protocol prohibits the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous, or other gases, and of bacteriological methods of warfare. The Protocol provided the basis for the BTWC and CWC.
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CHEMICAL WEAPONS
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Bilateral
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India-Pakistan Agreement on Chemical Weapons
The Agreement provides for the complete prohibition of chemical weapons in India and Pakistan, and requires both countries to make a commitment to not develop, possess or use chemical weapons.
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Multilateral
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Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (CWC)
The CWC requires State Parties not to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile or retain, transfer, use, or make military preparations to use chemical weapons. It entered into force in 1997.
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Regional
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Mendoza Agreement
The Mendoza Agreement, signed in 1991, was an agreement between Argentina, Brazil, and Chile which never entered into force. The Parties agreed not to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile or retain, transfer, or use chemical or biological weapons.
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CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS
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Multilateral
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Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE)
The CFE Treaty established an agreement aimed at reducing the possibility for major offensive operations in Europe through the reduction of troops and armaments in Central Europe.
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Treaty on Open Skies
The Treaty on Open Skies is an international agreement in which States Parties are given authorization to conduct unarmed observation flights over the territories of other States Parties.
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NUCLEAR SAFETY
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Multilateral
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Convention on Nuclear Safety
The Convention on Nuclear Safety is an incentive-based instrument that commits States operating nuclear power plants to establish and maintain a regulatory framework to govern the safety of nuclear installations.
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Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM)
The CPPNM is the only legally binding international agreement focusing on the physical protection of peaceful use nuclear materials.
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Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
The Joint Convention is the first international instrument to focus on minimizing the effects of hazardous radiological materials and developing best practices to promote an effective nuclear safety culture.
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NUCLEAR WEAPONS
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Bilateral
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India-Pakistan Non-Attack Agreement
The Agreement obligates India and Pakistan to refrain from undertaking, encouraging, or participating in actions aimed at causing destruction or damage to nuclear installations or facilities in each country.
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Joint Declaration of South and North Korea on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
The Joint Declaration was a treaty in which South and North Korea agreed not to possess, produce, or use nuclear weapons, and prohibited uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing.
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Lahore Declaration
The Lahore Declaration was an agreement between India and Pakistan that called for both to reduce the risk of accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons, among other confidence-building measures.
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Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I)
SALT refers to two rounds of talks between the US and the USSR on nuclear arms control. SALT I (1969-1972) led to the ABM Treaty.
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Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II)
SALT refers to two rounds of talks between the US and the USSR on nuclear arms control. SALT II lasted from 1972-1979.
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Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT)
The treaty mandates the United States and Russia to mutually decrease and limit strategic nuclear weapons, with each party reserving the right to determine the structure of its strategic offensive arms.
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Treaty between The United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START)
New START is the most recent agreement for nuclear arms reduction between the United States and Russia, establishing a limit on deployed strategic warheads.
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Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on Strategic Offensive Reductions (START I)
START I limited the number of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and warheads. START II complemented START I by attempting to establish further limits on strategic nuclear weapons for each party.
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Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on Strategic Offensive Reductions (START II)
START II complemented START I by attempting to establish further limits on strategic nuclear weapons for each party.
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Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-range and Shorter-range Missiles (INF Treaty)
The INF Treaty was a bilateral agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was the first treaty to reduce nuclear arms instead of establishing an arms ceiling.
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Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on Underground Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Purposes (PNE Treaty)
The PNE Treaty allows the United States and the USSR to conduct underground peaceful nuclear explosions at any location under their jurisdiction or control.
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Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty)
The ABM Treaty is an agreement between the United States and Soviet to cease construction of a national anti-ballistic missile system to limit the development and deployment of defensive missiles.
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US-DPRK Agreed Framework
The Agreed Framework was an agreement between the United States and North Korea, which called for replacing a North Korean nuclear reactor in exchange for normalizing relations and other incentives.
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Multilateral
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Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)
The CTBT prohibits nuclear weapon test explosions. It has not yet entered into force, since three of the 44 required states have yet to sign it and five to ratify it.
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International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism
The Convention covers a broad range of acts and possible targets, including nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors. It criminalizes the planning, threatening, or carrying out acts of nuclear terrorism.
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Treaty Banning Nuclear Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water (Partial Test Ban Treaty) (PTBT)
The PTBT requires parties to abstain from carrying out nuclear explosions in any environment where such explosions cause radioactive debris outside the limits of the State that conducts an explosion.
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Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
The NPT is a treaty aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons through the three elements of non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.
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Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Seabed and Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof (Seabed Treaty)
The treaty prevents placement of NBC weapons on the seabed and ocean floor to eliminate the possibility of an underwater arms race and promote the peaceful exploration of water bodies.
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Nwfzs
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African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (ANWFZ) Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty)
The Treaty obligates Parties not to develop, manufacture, acquire, or possess any nuclear explosive device. Parties may engage in peaceful nuclear activities and must conclude safeguards agreements with the IAEA.
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Antarctic Treaty
The Treaty obligates parties to only use Antarctica for peaceful purposes. Military activities are prohibited, including the testing of weapons, nuclear explosions, and the disposal of radioactive waste in Antarctica.
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Central Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ)
CANWFZ signatories cannot develop, acquire, possess, or control any nuclear weapon or nuclear explosive device, or carry out nuclear weapon tests. They also pledge to prevent nuclear explosions.
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Nuclear-Weapon-Free Status of Mongolia
The NWF Status prohibits any state from: 1. the development, possession, or control over nuclear weapons in Mongolia; 2. transporting nuclear weapons in Mongolia; 3. disposing radioactive material in Mongolia.
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Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty (Bangkok Treaty)
ASEAN members established the treaty, a critical component of ASEAN’s Declaration on a Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality, to ensure the absence of nuclear explosive devices in the region.
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South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty of Rarotonga
The treaty prohibits nuclear explosive devices in the South Pacific. It is the second treaty to establish a NWFZ, and also bans the testing and use of nuclear explosive technologies.
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Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (LANWFZ) (Tlatelolco Treaty)
The Tlatelolco Treaty prohibits Latin American states from acquiring, possessing, developing, testing or using nuclear weapons, and prohibits other countries from storing and deploying nuclear weapons on their territories.
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Proposed Multilateral
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Proposed Fissile Material (Cut-off) Treaty (FMCT)
The proposed treaty is intended to prohibit the production of fissile material. It has been on the proposed agenda of the Conference on Disarmament for many years, but the CD has not been able to establish a committee to begin formal negotiations because states disagree on the scope of the future treaty.
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Proposed Internationally Legally-Binding Negative Security Assurances
NSAs are the promise of nuclear-weapon States not to use or threaten nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States.
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Proposed Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC)
The proposed NWC, modeled on the CWC and BTWC, is intended to prohibit the development, testing, production, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons by all parties.
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SPACE ARMS CONTROL
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Multilateral
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Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (Moon Agreement)
The Moon Agreement is a supplement to the Outer Space Treaty, and confirms the de-militarization of the Moon and other celestial bodies.
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Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched in Outer Space (Launch Registration Convention)
The Convention obligates Parties to register launches of all objects launched into earth orbit or into outer space with an appropriate national space agency.
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Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (Outer Space Treaty)
The Outer Space Treaty obligates Parties not to place any objects carrying nuclear weapons in orbit, on the Moon, or on other celestial bodies.
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