View source for Arms control

{{Short description|Term for international restriction of weapons}}
{{Distinguish|text=a nation's or state's internal firearms regulations, called [[Gun control]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{War|expanded=non-warfare operations}}
'''Arms control''' is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of [[small arms]], [[conventional weapon]]s, and [[weapons of mass destruction]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What Is Arms Control? |url=http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/defense/a/what-is-arms-control.htm |work=About.com, US Foreign Policy |publisher=The New York Times Company |access-date=13 May 2012 |author=Barry Kolodkin |format=Article |archive-date=3 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903122015/http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/defense/a/what-is-arms-control.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Arms control is typically exercised through the use of diplomacy which seeks to impose such limitations upon consenting participants through international treaties and agreements, although it may also comprise efforts by a nation or group of nations to enforce limitations upon a non-consenting country.<ref>Stuart Croft, ''Strategies of arms control: a history and typology'' (Manchester University Press, 1996).</ref>

== Enactment ==

Arms control treaties and agreements are often seen as a way to avoid costly [[arms race]]s which could prove counter-productive to national aims and future peace.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arms Control |url=http://www.globalissues.org/issue/66/arms-control |publisher=Global Issues |work=globalissues.org |access-date=13 May 2012 |author=Anup Shah |format=Article |date=6 May 2012}}</ref> Some are used as ways to stop the spread of certain military technologies (such as nuclear weaponry or missile technology) in return for assurances to potential developers that they will not be victims of those technologies. Additionally, some arms control agreements are entered to limit the damage done by warfare, especially to civilians and the environment, which is seen as bad for all participants regardless of who wins a war.

While arms control treaties are seen by many peace proponents as a key tool against war, by the participants, they are often seen simply as ways to limit the high costs of the development and building of weapons, and even reduce the costs associated with war itself. Arms control can even be a way of maintaining the viability of military action by limiting those weapons that would make war so costly and destructive as to make it no longer a viable tool for national policy.

== Enforcement ==

Enforcement of arms control agreements has proven difficult over time. Most agreements rely on the continued desire of the participants to abide by the terms to remain effective.  Usually, when a nation no longer desires to abide by the terms, they usually will seek to either covertly circumvent the terms or to end their participation in the treaty.  This was seen with the [[Washington Naval Treaty]]<ref>{{cite web |title=CONFERENCE ON THE LIMITATION OF ARMAMENT, WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 12 1921-FEBRUARY 6, 1922. |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/pre-war/1922/nav_lim.html |work=ibiblio |publisher= University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |access-date=21 May 2012}}</ref> (and the subsequent [[London Naval Treaty]]<ref>{{cite web |title=INTERNATIONAL TREATY FOR THE LIMITATION AND REDUCTION OF NAVAL ARMAMENT |url=http://www.microworks.net/pacific/road_to_war/london_treaty.htm |work= microworks.net |access-date=21 May 2012}}</ref>), where most participants sought to work around the limitations, some more legitimately than others.<ref>{{cite web |title=Naval Treaties: Born of the Second London Naval Treaty:A concise investigation of the qualitative limitations of capital ships 1936 – 1941 |url=http://www.bismarck-class.dk/miscellaneous/naval_treaties/born_of_the_second_london_naval_treaty.html |work=Bismarck & Tirpitz |publisher=John Asmussen |access-date=21 May 2012 |author=Peter Beisheim MA |format=Essay |archive-date=22 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122185106/http://www.bismarck-class.dk/miscellaneous/naval_treaties/born_of_the_second_london_naval_treaty.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The United States developed better technology to get better performance from their ships while still working within the weight limits, the United Kingdom exploited a loop-hole in the terms, the Italians misrepresented the weight of their vessels, and when up against the limits, Japan left the treaty. The nations which violated the terms of the treaty did not suffer great consequences for their actions.  Within little more than a decade, the treaty was abandoned. The [[Geneva Protocol]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Geneva Protocol |url=https://fas.org/nuke/control/geneva/intro.htm |work=FAS: Weapons of Mass Destruction |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |access-date=21 May 2012}}</ref>  has lasted longer and been more successful at being respected, but still nations have violated it at will when they have felt the need.  Enforcement has been haphazard, with measures more a matter of politics than adherence to the terms.  This meant sanctions and other measures tended to be advocated against violators primarily by their natural political enemies, while violations have been ignored or given only token measures by their political allies.<ref>{{cite web |title=WMD: Law instead of lawless self help |url=http://www.blixassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/No37.pdf |id=Briefing paper 37 |publisher=The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission |author=Harald Müller |date=August 2005|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160610161859/http://www.blixassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/No37.pdf |archive-date = 10 June 2016}}</ref>

More recent arms control treaties have included more stringent terms on enforcement of violations as well as verification.  This last has been a major obstacle to effective enforcement, as violators often attempt to covertly circumvent the terms of the agreements.  Verification is the process of determining whether or not a nation is complying with the terms of an agreement, and involves a combination of release of such information by participants<ref>{{cite web |title=Chemical and Biological Weapons Status at a Glance |url=http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/cbwprolif |publisher=Arms Control Association |format=Fact Sheet |date=June 2018}}</ref>  as well as some way to allow participants to examine each other to verify that information.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Compliance mechanisms for disarmament treaties |title=Verification Yearbook 2000 |chapter-url=http://www.walterdorn.org/pub/27 |author=A. Walter Dorn |author2=Douglas S. Scott |publisher=Verification Research, Training and Information Centre |location=London |pages=229–247 |year=2000 |via=walterdorn.org}}</ref>  This often involves as much negotiation as the limits themselves, and in some cases questions of verification have led to the breakdown of treaty negotiations (for example, verification was cited as a major concern by opponents of the [[Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty]], ultimately not ratified by the United States).<ref>{{cite report |title=Comprehensive Nuclear Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments |url=http://www.thereaganvision.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/CRS-Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty-Background-and-Current-Developments.pdf |work=CRS Report for Congress |publisher=Congressional Research Service |access-date=17 May 2012 |author=Jonathan Medalia |date=3 August 2011 |archive-date=15 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915142716/http://www.thereaganvision.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/CRS-Comprehensive-Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty-Background-and-Current-Developments.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fukushima: Another reason to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty |url= http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/fukushima-another-reason-to-ratify-the-comprehensive-test-ban-treaty |website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |first = Alexander H. |last=Rothman |date=23 March 2011}}</ref>

States may remain in a treaty while seeking to break the limits of that treaty as opposed to withdrawing from it. This is for two major reasons. To openly defy an agreement, even if one withdraws from it, often is seen in a bad light politically and can carry diplomatic repercussions. Additionally, if one remains in an agreement, competitors who are also participatory may be held to the limitations of the terms, while withdrawal releases your opponents to make the same developments you are making, limiting the advantage of that development.

== Theory of arms control ==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2023}}
Scholars and practitioners such as [[John D. Steinbruner]], [[Thomas Schelling]], [[Morton Halperin]], [[Jonathan Dean]] or [[Stuart Croft (political scientist)|Stuart Croft]] worked extensively on the theoretical backing of arms control. Arms control is meant to break the [[security dilemma]]. It aims at mutual security between partners and overall stability (be it in a crisis situation, a [[grand strategy]], or stability to put an end to an [[arms race]]). Other than stability, arms control comes with cost reduction and damage limitation. It is different from [[disarmament]] since the maintenance of stability might allow for mutually controlled armament and does not take a peace-without-weapons-stance.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schelling |first1=Thomas |last2=Halperin |first2=Morton |title=Strategy and Arms Control |date=1961 |publisher=Twentieth Century Fund}}</ref> Nevertheless, arms control is a defensive strategy in principle, since [[transparency (social)|transparency]], equality, and stability do not fit into an offensive strategy.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

According to a 2020 study in the ''American Political Science Review'', arms control is rare because successful arms control agreements involve a difficult trade-off between transparency and security. For arms control agreements to be effective, there needs to be a way to thoroughly verify that a state is following the agreement, such as through intrusive inspections. However, states are often reluctant to submit to such inspections when they have reasons to fear that the inspectors will use the inspections to gather information about the capabilities of the state, which could be used in a future conflict.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Coe|first1=Andrew J.|last2=Vaynman|first2=Jane|date=2020|title=Why Arms Control Is So Rare|journal=American Political Science Review|language=en|volume=114|issue=2|pages=342–355|doi=10.1017/S000305541900073X|s2cid=201700936|issn=0003-0554|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== History ==

===Pre-19th century===
One of the first recorded attempts in arms control was a set of rules laid down in ancient Greece by the [[Amphictyonic League]]s. Rulings specified how war could be waged, and breaches of this could be punished by fines or by war.

In the 8th and 9th centuries AD, [[sword]]s and [[chain mail]] armor manufactured in the [[Frankish empire]] were highly sought after for their quality, and [[Charlemagne]] (r. 768–814), made their sale or export to foreigners illegal, punishable by forfeiture of property or even death.  This was an attempt to limit the possession and use of this equipment by the Franks' enemies, including the [[Moors]], the [[Vikings]] and the [[Slavs]].

The church used its position as a trans-national organization to limit the means of warfare. The 989 [[Peace and Truce of God|Peace of God]] (extended in 1033) ruling protected noncombatants, agrarian and economic facilities, and the property of the church from war. The 1027 [[Truce of God]] also tried to prevent violence between Christians. The [[Second Lateran Council]] in 1139 prohibited the use of [[crossbow]]s against other Christians, although it did not prevent its use against non-Christians.

The development of [[firearms]] led to an increase in the devastation of war.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Mortality associated with use of weapons in armed conflicts, wartime atrocities, and civilian mass shootings |year=1999 |pmc=28193 |last1=Coupland |first1=R. M. |last2=Meddings |first2=D. R. |journal=BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) |volume=319 |issue=7207 |pages=407–410 |doi=10.1136/bmj.319.7207.407 |pmid=10445920 }}</ref> The brutality of wars during this period led to efforts to formalize the rules of war, with humane treatment for [[prisoners of war]] or wounded, as well as rules to protect non-combatants and the [[Pillage|pillaging]] of their property. However, during the period until the beginning of the 19th century few formal arms control agreements were recorded, except theoretical proposals and those imposed on defeated armies.

One treaty which was concluded was the [[Strasbourg Agreement (1675)|Strasbourg Agreement of 1675]]. This is the first international agreement limiting the use of [[chemical weapon]]s, in this case, poison bullets. The treaty was signed between France and [[The Holy Roman Empire]]

===19th century===
The 1817 [[Rush–Bagot Treaty]] between the United States and the United Kingdom was the first arms control treaty of what can be considered the modern industrial era, leading to the demilitarization of the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Lake Champlain]] region of North America.<ref>{{cite web |title=British-American Diplomacy Exchange of Notes Relative to Naval Forces on the American Lakes |url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/br1817m.asp |work=The Avalon Project |publisher=Lillian Goldman Law Library |access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref>  This was followed by the [[Treaty of Washington (1871)|1871 Treaty of Washington]] which led to total demilitarization.

The industrial revolution led to the increasing mechanization of warfare, as well as rapid advances in the development of firearms; the increased potential of devastation (which was later seen in the battlefields of World War I) led to [[Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar Nicholas II of Russia]] calling together the leaders of 26 nations for the [[First Hague Conference]] in 1899. The Conference led to the signing of the [[Hague Convention of 1899]] that led to rules of declaring and conducting warfare as well as the use of modern weaponry, and also led to the setting up of the [[Permanent Court of Arbitration]].

===1900 to 1945===
A [[Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907)|Second Hague Conference]] was called in 1907 leading to additions and amendments to the original 1899 agreement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Declaration (XIV) Prohibiting the Discharge of Projectiles and Explosives from Balloons. The Hague, 18 October 1907. |url=http://www.icrc.org/IHL.NSF/INTRO/245?OpenDocument |work=Humainitarian Law |publisher=International Committee of the Red Cross |access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref>  A Third Hague Conference was called for 1915, but this was abandoned due to the [[First World War]].

After the World War I, the [[League of Nations]] was set up which attempted to limit and reduce arms.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Arms Control and Disarmament – Between the world wars, 1919–1939 |url=http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/A-D/Arms-Control-and-Disarmament-Between-the-world-wars-1919-1939.html |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the New American Nation |publisher=Advameg, Inc. |access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref>  However the enforcement of this policy was not effective. Various naval conferences, such as the [[Washington Naval Conference]], were held during the period between the First and Second World Wars to limit the number and size of major warships of the five great naval powers.

The 1925 [[Geneva Naval Conference|Geneva Conference]] led to the banning of [[chemical weapon]]s being deployed against enemy nationals in international armed conflict as part of the [[Geneva Protocol]]. The 1928 [[Kellogg-Briand Pact]], whilst ineffective, attempted for "providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy".<ref>{{cite web|title=Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 |url=http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/kbpact.htm |publisher=The Avalon Project |access-date=13 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509201753/http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/kbpact.htm |archive-date=9 May 2012 }}</ref>

===Since 1945===
[[File:Reagan and Gorbachev signing.jpg|thumb|right|Soviet General Secretary [[Mikhail Gorbachev|Gorbachev]] and U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] signing the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty|INF Treaty]] in 1987]]
After [[World War II]], the United Nations was set up as a body to promote and to maintain international peace and security.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the UN |url=https://www.un.org/en/aboutun/history/ |publisher=United Nations |work=un.org |access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> The United States proposed the [[Baruch Plan]] in 1946 as a way to impose stringent international control over the nuclear fuel cycle and thereby avert a global nuclear arms race, but the Soviet Union rejected the proposal and negotiations failed. Following President Eisenhower's 1953 [[Atoms for Peace]] speech to the UN General Assembly, the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] was set up in 1957 to promote peaceful uses of nuclear technology and apply safeguards against the diversion of nuclear material from peaceful uses to [[nuclear weapons]].

Under the auspices of the United Nations, the [[Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty|Partial Test Ban Treaty]], which aimed to end nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, underwater and in outer-space, was established in 1963.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Magnarella|first=Paul J|title="Attempts to Reduce and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Creation of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones."|publisher=PEACE & CHANGE|year=2008|pages=514|language=English}}</ref> The 1968 [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT) was signed to prevent further spread of nuclear weapons technology to countries outside the five that already possessed them: the United States, the [[Soviet Union]], the United Kingdom, France and China.<ref>Council on Foreign Relations: Global Governance Monitor on Nonproliferation, available at http://www.cfr.org/publication/18985/</ref> With the three main goals of establishing nonproliferation with inspections, nuclear arms reduction, and the right to use nuclear energy peacefully, this treaty initially met some reluctance from countries developing their own nuclear programs such as Brazil, Argentina and South Africa.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Magnarella|first=Paul J|title="Attempts to Reduce and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Creation of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones."|publisher=PEACE & CHANGE|year=2008|pages=509|language=English}}</ref> Still, all countries with the exception of India, Israel, Pakistan and South Sudan decided to sign or ratify the document.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gillis|first=Melissa|title="Disarmament: a Basic Guide, Fourth Edition."|publisher=United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs|year=2017|location=New York|pages=|language=English}}</ref><ref>[https://treaties.unoda.org/t/npt Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs.</ref>

The [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks]] (SALT) between the United States and Soviet Union in the late 1960s/early 1970s led to further weapons control agreements. The SALT I talks led to the [[Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty]] and an ''Interim Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement'' (see [[SALT I]]), both in 1972. The [[SALT II]] talks started in 1972 leading to agreement in 1979. Due to the Soviet Union's invasion of [[Afghanistan]] the United States never ratified the treaty, but the agreement was honoured by both sides.

The [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]] was signed between the United States and Soviet Union in 1987 and ratified in 1988, leading to an agreement to destroy all [[missile]]s with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seiitsu Tachibana, "Much ado about something : The factors that induced Reagan and Gorbachev to conclude the INF Treaty" |url=http://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/metadb/up/kiyo/hps/11/hps_11_151.pdf |work=Hiroshima Peace Science, Vol.11 |publisher=Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science |access-date=17 May 2012 |author=Seiitsu Tachibana |page=Hirospage.151–182 |year=1998 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305100459/http://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/metadb/up/kiyo/hps/11/hps_11_151.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2012 }}</ref>  This came in the context of a revitalised peace movement during the previous decade which included huge demonstrations around the world for nuclear disarmament.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kearns |first=Barbara |date=2021-05-05 |title=Stepping Out For Peace: A History of CANE and PND (WA) |url=https://commonslibrary.org/stepping-out-for-peace-a-history-of-cane-and-pnd-wa/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=The Commons Social Change Library |language=en-AU}}</ref>

The 1993 [[Chemical Weapons Convention]] was signed banning the manufacture and use of [[chemical weapons]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Articles of the Chemical Weapons Convention |url=http://www.opcw.org/chemical-weapons-convention/articles/ |work=Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |publisher=OPCW |access-date=17 May 2012}}</ref>

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties were signed, as [[START I]] and [[START II]], by the US and Soviet Union, further restricting weapons.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nuclear Treaty: A Guide to Disarmament |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/start-nuclear-weapons-treaty-guide-disarmament/story?id=12469644 |work=ABC News |publisher=ABC News Internet Ventures. Yahoo! – ABC News Network |access-date=17 May 2012 |author=KIRIT RADIA |format=News article |date=24 December 2010}}</ref>  This was further moved on by the [[SORT|Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions]], which was in turn superseded by [[New START|the New START Treaty]].

[[File:Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.svg|thumb|UN vote on adoption of the [[Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] on 7 July 2017<br />{{Leftlegend|#008cff|Yes}}]]
The [[Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty]] was signed in 1996 banning all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes, but it has not entered into force due to the non-ratification of eight specific states.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nuclear Testing Is an Acceptable Risk for Arms Control |url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nuclear-testing-is-an-acceptable-risk |work=Scientific American |access-date=13 May 2012 |format=Article |date=2 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What is the CTBT? |url=http://www.ctbto.org/specials/who-we-are/?Fsize=xhczayqbmdyc |work=Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Organization (CTBTO) |access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref>

In 1998 the United Nations founded the [[United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs]] (UNODA). Its goal is to promote [[nuclear disarmament]] and non-proliferation and the strengthening of the disarmament regimes in respect to other weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological weapons. It also promotes disarmament efforts in the area of conventional weapons, especially landmines and small arms, which are often the weapons of choice in contemporary conflicts.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}

In addition to treaties focused primarily on stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons, there has been a recent movement to regulate the sale and trading of conventional weapons. As of December 2014, the United Nations is preparing for entry into force of the [[Arms Trade Treaty]], which has been ratified by 89 nations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-8&chapter=26&clang=_en|title=Arms Trade Treaty|website=United Nations Treaty Collection|access-date=7 October 2016}}</ref> However, it is currently missing ratification by key arms producers such as Russia and China, and while the United States has signed the treaty it has not yet ratified it.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Arms Trade Treaty|url=http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/t/att|website=UNODA|publisher=the United Nations|access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref> The Treaty regulates the international trade in almost all categories of conventional weapons – from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. Ammunition, as well as parts and components, are also covered.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gillis|first=Melissa|title="Disarmament: a Basic Guide, Fourth Edition."|publisher=United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs|year=2017|location=New York|language=English}}</ref>

More recently, the United Nations announced the adoption of the [[Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]] in 2020, following the 50th ratification or accession by member states.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gillis|first=Melissa|title="Disarmament: a Basic Guide, Fourth Edition."|publisher=United Nations Office for Disarmament Affair|year=2017|location=New York|language=English}}</ref>

== List of treaties and conventions related to arms control ==

Some of the more important international arms control agreements follow:
*[[Treaty of Versailles]], 1919 – limited the size of the Germany's military after [[World War I]]
*[[Washington Naval Treaty]], 1922–1939{{efn|The last naval conference treaty was to expire [[de jure]] in 1942, but in fact it ceased to be enforced with the start of World War II.}} (as part of the [[Washington Naval Conference|naval conference]]s) – set limitations on construction of [[battleship]]s, [[battlecruiser]]s, and [[aircraft carrier]]s as well as tonnage quotas on [[cruiser]]s, [[destroyer]]s, and [[submarine]]s between the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Italy
* [[Geneva Protocol]], 1925 – prohibited the use of [[Biological warfare|biological]] and [[chemical weapon]]s against enemy nationals in international armed conflict
* [[Antarctic Treaty]], signed 1959, entered into force 1961 – prohibited military conflict in [[Antarctica]]
* [[Partial Test Ban Treaty]], signed and entered into force 1963 – prohibited nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere
* [[Outer Space Treaty]], signed and entered into force 1967<ref>{{cite web|title=Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies|url=http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/SpaceLaw/outerspt.html|work=United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs|publisher=UNOOSA|access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref> – prohibited deployment of [[Weapon of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]], including nuclear weapons, in [[Outer space|space]]
* [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]], signed 1968, entered into force 1970 – prohibited countries without nuclear weapons from acquiring them while committing nuclear-armed states to eventual disarmament
*[[Seabed Arms Control Treaty]], signed 1971, entered into force 1972<ref>{{cite web|title=The Seabed Treaty|url=https://1997-2001.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/seabed1.html|work=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|publisher=US Department of State|access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> – prohibited underwater nuclear tests
*[[SALT I Treaty|Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty]] (SALT I), signed and ratified 1972, in force 1972–1977 – limited introduction of new [[intercontinental ballistic missile]] launchers and [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]]s
* [[Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty]], signed and entered into force 1972, terminated following U.S. withdrawal 2002 – restricted [[anti-ballistic missile]]s
* [[Biological Weapons Convention]], signed 1972, entered into force 1975<ref>{{cite web|title=Disarmament:The Biological Weapons Convention|url=http://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/%28httpPages%29/04FBBDD6315AC720C1257180004B1B2F?OpenDocument|work=UNOG|access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> – prohibited production of biological weapons
* [[Threshold Test Ban Treaty]], signed 1974, entered into force 1990 – limited nuclear weapons tests to 150 kilotons
*[[SALT II]] signed 1979, never entered into force – limited production of long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles
*[[Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques|Environmental Modification Convention]], signed 1977, entered into force 1978 – prohibited military use of environmental modification techniques
* [[Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons]], signed 1980, entered into force 1983 – restricted certain [[conventional weapon]]s such as [[Land mine|landmines]], [[Incendiary device|incendiary weapons]], and [[laser weapon]]s as well as requiring clearance of [[unexploded ordnance]]s. 
* [[Moon Treaty]], signed 1979, entered into force 1984{{efn|The [[Moon Treaty]] entered into force in 1984, but the great majority of states have neither signed nor ratified it, including the major [[spacefaring]] nations.}} – prohibits militarization of the [[Moon]]
*[[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]] (INF Treaty), signed 1987, entered into force 1988, United States and Russia announced withdrawal 2019 – limited [[Short-range ballistic missile|short-range]] and [[intermediate-range ballistic missile]]s
*[[Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe]], (CFE Treaty) signed 1990, entered into force 1992{{efn|Post–Cold War Amendments to the [[Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe|CFE Treaty]] were agreed in 1996, but never entered into force.  Russia announced its intended suspension of the treaty in 2007.}} – established limits on deployment of conventional military forces in Europe between [[NATO]] and the [[Warsaw Pact]]
*[[Vienna Document]], adopted 1990, updated 1992, 1994, 1999, 2011<ref name="Shakirov_future_of_Vienna_document">{{cite web | last1 = Shakirov | first1 = Oleg | title= The future of the Vienna Document | website= [[PIR Center]] |year = 2019 | url = https://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/14/15754830230.pdf | access-date = 2022-02-10 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126074208/https://www.pircenter.org/media/content/files/14/15754830230.pdf |archive-date= 2021-01-26 |url-status=live }}</ref> – European agreement on [[confidence-building measures|confidence- and security-building measure]]s such as prior notification of military force activities and inspections of military activities
*[[START I|Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I]] ([[START I]]), signed 1991, entered into force 1994, expired 2009 ([[START I]] was a successor to the expired [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks|SALT]] agreements.) – provided limitations on strategic offensive arms
* [[Chemical Weapons Convention]], signed 1993, entered into force 1997 – prohibited production and stockpiling of chemical weapons
* [[START II]], signed 1993, ratified 1996 (United States) and 2000 (Russia), terminated following Russian withdrawal 2002<ref>{{cite web|title=Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II)|url=https://fas.org/nuke/control/start2/|work=Federation of American Scientists|access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> – prohibited intercontinental ballistic missiles with [[multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle]]s
* [[Open Skies Treaty]], signed 1992, entered into force 2002<ref>{{cite web|title=Open Skies Treaty: Fact Sheet|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/03/186738.htm|work=U.S. Department of State|publisher=U.S. State Department|access-date=13 May 2012|author=Office of the Spokesperson|date=23 March 2012}}</ref> – allowed unarmed [[Reconnaissance aircraft|reconnaissance flights]] between [[NATO]] and Russia
* [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]], signed 1996, has not entered into force. – prohibited nuclear weapons testing
* [[Ottawa Treaty]] on [[Anti-personnel mine|anti-personnel landmines]], signed 1997, entered into force 1999{{efn|The largest producers of anti-personnel land mines, China, Russia and the United States, have not adhered to the [[Ottawa Treaty]] on land mines.}}
* [[Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty]] (SORT), signed 2002, entered into force 2003, expires 2012 – limited nuclear warheads 
* [[International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation]], signed 2002 – limited proliferation of [[ballistic missile]]s
*[[Convention on Cluster Munitions]], signed 2008, entered into force 2010<ref>{{cite web|title=The Convention|url=http://www.clusterconvention.org/|work=Convention on Cluster Munitions – CCM|access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Cluster bomb treaty reaches ratification, UN says|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8519360.stm|work=BBC World News|publisher=BBC|access-date=13 May 2012|format=News article|date=17 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Q&A: Cluster bomb treaty|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7762914.stm|work=BBC World News|publisher=BBC|access-date=13 May 2012|format=News article|date=3 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Treaty enacted to ban cluster bombs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-10829992|work=BBC World News|publisher=BBC|access-date=13 May 2012|author=Stuart Hughes|date=1 August 2010}}</ref> – prohibits deployment, production, and stockpiling of [[Cluster munition|cluster bombs]]
*[[START treaty (2010)|New START Treaty]], signed by Russia and the United States April 2010, entered into force February 2011<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't play politics with new START treaty|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/11/19/wilk.new.start.treaty/|work=CNN|publisher=Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.|access-date=16 May 2012|author=Peter Wilk|date=19 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312222058/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-19/opinion/wilk.new.start.treaty_1_nuclear-weapons-president-medvedev-strategic-arms-reduction-treaty?_s=PM:OPINION|archive-date=12 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New START: Treaty Text|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/c44126.htm|work=US Department of State|publisher=U.S. State Department.|access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Key Senate committee passes nuclear arms treaty|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/09/16/senate.start.treaty/|work=CNN|publisher=Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.|access-date=16 May 2012|date=7 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325065357/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-16/politics/senate.start.treaty_1_start-treaty-nuclear-arms-treaty-russian-parliament?_s=PM:POLITICS|archive-date=25 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Arms Treaty With Russia Headed for Ratification|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/world/europe/22start.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=16 May 2012|author=PETER BAKER|format=Article|date=21 December 2010}}</ref> – reduced strategic nuclear missiles by half
*[[Arms Trade Treaty]], concluded 2013, entered into force 24 December 2014<ref>{{cite web|title=Arms Trade Treaty|url=http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/t/att|website=UNODA|access-date=2 February 2015}}</ref> – regulates [[Arms industry|trade of conventional weapons]]
* [[Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]], signed 2017, entered into force January 2021 – prohibits nuclear weapons

===Nuclear weapon-free zone treaties===
* [[Treaty of Tlatelolco]] (Latin America and the [[Caribbean]]), signed 1967, entered into force 1972
* [[Treaty of Rarotonga]] ([[South Pacific Ocean|South Pacific]]), signed 1985, entered into force 1986<ref>{{cite web|title=South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty Treaty of Rarotonga|url=https://fas.org/nuke/control/spnfz/index.html|work=Federation of American Scientists|publisher=(Federation of American Scientists)www.fas.org|access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref>
* [[Treaty of Bangkok]] (Southeast Asia), signed 1995, entered into force 1997<ref>{{cite web|title=Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Bangkok,Thailand 15 December 1995|url=http://www.asean.org/2082.htm|work=ASEAN|publisher=ASEAN Secretariat|access-date=16 May 2012}}</ref>
* [[Treaty of Pelindaba]] (Africa), signed 1996, entered into force 2009
* [[Treaty of Semipalatinsk]] (Central Asia), signed 2006, entered into force 2008<ref>{{cite web|title=Central Asian States Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Despite U.S. Opposition|url=http://cns.miis.edu/stories/060905.htm|work=James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies|publisher=James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)|access-date=16 May 2012|author=Scott Parrish, William C. Potter|format=Article|date=8 September 2006}}</ref>
Other treaties also envision the creation of NWFZ, among other objectives. These are the following:
* [[Antarctic Treaty]], signed 1959, entered into force 1961
* [[Outer Space Treaty]], signed and entered into force 1967
* [[Seabed Arms Control Treaty]], signed 1971, entered into force 1972

===Treaties not entered into force===
* [[Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty]], signed 1996 – prohibits nuclear weapons testing

===Proposed treaties===
* [[Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Draft Fissile Material (Cutoff) Treaty, or FM(C)T|url=http://fissilematerials.org/library/2009/02/draft_fissile_material_cutoff_.html|work=Library: International Panel on Fissile Materials|date=5 February 2009 |publisher=International Panel on Fissile Materials|access-date=17 May 2012}}</ref> – would prohibit all further production of [[fissile material]]
* [[Nuclear weapons convention]] – would prohibit nuclear weapons

===Export control regimes===
* [[Zangger Committee]] since 1971
* [[Nuclear Suppliers Group]] (NSG) since 1974
* [[Australia Group]] since 1985
* [[Missile Technology Control Regime]] (MTCR), since 1987
* [[Wassenaar Arrangement]], since 1996

===Nonbinding declarations===
* [[Ayacucho Declaration]] 1974

==Arms control organizations==
{{Incomplete list|date=February 2011}}
 [[intergovernmental organization]]s for arms control include:
* [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] (IAEA)
* [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]] (OPCW)
* [[Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe]] (OSCE) which has other functions besides arms control
* [[Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization]] ([[CTBTO]] PrepCom)
* [[Conference on Disarmament]] (CD)
* [[United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs]] (UNODA)
* [[United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research]] (UNIDIR)
* the now disbanded [[United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission]] (UNMOVIC), the successor to [[United Nations Special Commission]] (UNSCOM)
* failed proposal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boudewijndejonge.googlepages.com/Institutional_governance_OPBW.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-05-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621042913/http://boudewijndejonge.googlepages.com/Institutional_governance_OPBW.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-21 }}</ref> for [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Biological Weapons]]

There are also numerous non-governmental organizations that promote a global arms reduction and offer research and analysis about (US) nuclear weapons policy. These include:

* [[Arms Control Association]], founded in 1971 to promote public understanding of and support for arms control. 
* [[Federation of American Scientists]] (FAS)—founded in 1945 as the Federation of Atomic Scientists by veterans of the [[Manhattan Project]]
* [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]]—a leading disarmament organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1957
* [[Peace Action]]—formerly SANE (the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy), founded in 1957
* [[Physicians for Social Responsibility]] (PSR)—founded by [[Bernard Lown]] in 1961
* [[Council for a Livable World]]—founded in 1962 by physicist [[Leó Szilárd]] and other scientists who believed that nuclear weapons should be controlled and eventually eliminated
* [[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]] (SIPRI)—founded in 1966
* [[Union of Concerned Scientists]] (UCS)—founded in 1969 by faculty and students at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]
* [[Arms Control Association]]—founded in 1971
* [[Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation]]—founded in 1980 as a sister organization to the [[Council for a Livable World]]
* [[International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War]] (IPPNW)—founded in 1981
* [[Alliance for Nuclear Accountability]]—a national network of organizations working to address issues of nuclear weapons production and waste cleanup, founded in 1987 as the Military Production Network
* [[Global Zero (campaign)|Global Zero]]—founded in 2008
* [[T.M.C. Asser Instituut]]—founded in 1965

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
*[[Arms industry|Arms deals]]
*[[Arms embargo]]
*[[Arms industry]]
*[[Arms trafficking]]
*[[Disarmament]]
*[[Export control]]
*[[Guns versus butter model]]
*[[List of chemical arms control agreements]]
*[[List of weapons of mass destruction treaties]]
*[[Offset agreement]]
*[[Peace and conflict studies]]
*[[Private military company]]
*[[Permanent war economy]]
*[[Small Arms and Light Weapons]] (SALW)
*[[United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs]]
}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

* {{cite journal |last=Adelman |first=Kenneth L. |year=1986 |title=Arms control and human rights |jstor=20672104 |journal=World Affairs |volume=149 |issue=3 |pages=157–162 }}
*{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/campaigns/control-arms |title=Arms control and human rights |author=Amnesty International|year=2014 |website=amnesty.org |publisher=Amnesty International }}
* Bailes, Alyson J. K. "The changing role of arms control in historical perspective." in ''Arms Control in the 21st Century'' (2013): 15–38.
* Coe, Andrew J. and Jane Waynman. 2019. "Why Arms Control Is So Rare." ''American Political Science Review.'' doi:10.1017/S000305541900073X|
* Croft, Stuart. ''Strategies of arms control: a history and typology'' (Manchester University Press, 1996).
* Foradori, Paolo, et al. eds. ''Arms Control and Disarmament: 50 Years of Experience in Nuclear Education'' (2017) [https://www.amazon.com/Arms-Control-Disarmament-Experience-Education/dp/3319622587/ excerpt]
* [[Randall Forsberg|Forsberg, Randall]], ed., ''Arms Control Reporter 1995–2005.'' Cambridge: MIT Press, 1995–2004.
* Gillespie, Alexander. ''A History of the Laws of War: Volume 3: The Customs and Laws of War with Regards to Arms Control'' (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011).
* Glynn, Patrick. ''Closing Pandora's Box: Arms Races, Arms Control, and the History of the Cold War'' (1992) [https://archive.org/details/closingpandorasb00glyn online]
* Graham Jr, Thomas. ''Disarmament sketches: Three decades of arms control and international law'' (University of Washington Press, 2012).
* Kaufman, Robert Gordon. ''Arms Control During the Pre-Nuclear Era'' (Columbia University Press, 1990).
* Larsen, Jeffrey A. ''Historical dictionary of arms control and disarmament'' (2005) [https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000lars online]
* Mutschlerm, Max M. ''Arms Control in Space: Exploring Conditions for Preventive Arms Control'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013).
* Reinhold, Thomas, and Christian Reuter. "Arms control and its applicability to cyberspace." in ''Information Technology for Peace and Security: IT Applications and Infrastructures in Conflicts, Crises, War, and Peace'' (2019): 207–231.
* Smith, James M. and Gwendolyn Hall, eds. ''Milestones in strategic arms control, 1945–2000: United States Air Force roles and outcomes'' (2002) [https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/AUPress/Books/B_0087_SMITH_HALL_STRATEGIC_ARMS_CONTROL.pdf online]
* Thompson, Kenneth W., ed. ''Presidents and Arms Control: Process, Procedures, and Problems'' (University Press of America, 1997).
* Williams Jr, Robert E., and Paul R. Viotti. ''Arms Control: History, Theory, and Policy'' (2 vol. ABC-CLIO, 2012).
*Young, Nigel J. ed. ''The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace'' (4 vol. 2010) 1:89–122.

=== Primary sources===
* U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. ''Arms Control and Disarmament Agreements: Texts and Histories of the Negotiations'' (1996) {{ISBN|9780160486890}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=title%3A%28%22arms+control%22%29&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22cuny-ol%22&sort=-date online books on arms control] (on [[Internet Archive]])
* [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL33865.pdf Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements] [[Congressional Research Service]], May 8, 2018.
* {{cite web |url=https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/arms_trade_treaty |title=The Arms Trade Treaty at a Glance |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=July 2013 |website=armscontrol.org |publisher=Arms Control Association }}

{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150428063537/http://www.counterwmd.gov/ National Counterproliferation Center – Office of the Director of National Intelligence] (archived 28 April 2015)
* [https://www.un.org/disarmament/ UN – Disarmament Affairs]
* [https://armscontrolcenter.org/ Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070711015743/http://www.clw.org/ Council for a Livable World] (archived 11 July 2007)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110217123044/http://www.sipri.org/research/disarmament Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Research on Arms Control and Non-Proliferation] (archived 17 February 2011)
* [https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Asada_ACD.html Lecture] by [http://legal.un.org/avl/pdf/ls/Asada_bio.pdf Masahiko Asada] entitled ''Nuclear Weapons and International Law'' in the [https://legal.un.org/avl/lectureseries.html Lecture Series of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law]
* [http://www.disarmamentinsight.blogspot.com/ Disarmament insight] website

{{Firearms}}
{{Authority control}}

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