strategy
Preventing nuclear proliferation
Synonyms:
Minimizing military use of nuclear materialsDelegitimizing nuclear weaponry
Implementation:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established 1957, by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Apart from promoting civil nuclear power, the IAEA is also charged with stopping the diversion of civilian nuclear materials into weapons programmes. IAEA has has helped minimize the threat of nuclear proliferation by inspecting civil nuclear reactors in 90 countries to ensure that nuclear materials are not diverted for military purposes. However, up to three percent of plutonium a year in a large reprocessing plant could be unaccounted for.The [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)] came into force in March 1970, when the USA, the former Soviet Union and 59 other states signed as well as ratifying it in their parliaments. The five nuclear weapons states officially recognized by the Treaty were China, France, Russia, the UK, and the USA. By 1995 some 167 countries had signed the Treaty, among them Iran, Iraq and Jordan, but not Israel. The purpose of the Treaty is to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weaponry in the world and to encourage uses of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and not for producing nuclear weapons of mass destruction. However since NPT came into force, more than 2,000 nuclear weapons tests have occurred and more than 127,000 nuclear weapons have been produced.
Counter Claim:
The treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons requires each participating country to declare the sites where it has civilian nuclear facilities and open them for inspection to guarantee that none of the material is being diverted to illicit purposes. But what if a country has secret and undeclared sites, as Iraq had?. Broader:
Reducing nuclear rivalry among countriesStrengthening regimes of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction Narrower:
Banning nuclear testingPhasing out nuclear reprocessingUndermining need for nuclear testingAccepting inspection of nuclear sitesAuthorizing seizure of nuclear materialsVerifying compliance with nuclear arms treatiesBanning production of weapons-grade nuclear materialsProtecting against vulnerable nuclear weapons arsenalsProviding security assurances for non-nuclear weapon statesSecuring bomb-grade nuclear material from the former Soviet UnionStrengthening safeguards on movement of nuclear-weapons grade materialsPreventing movement of weapons-usable nuclear materials to non-nuclear statesNegotiating convention for the elimination of nuclear weapons Constrains:
Proliferating strategic nuclear armsCreating risk of unintentional global nuclear war due to nuclear proliferation Constrained by:
Supplying nuclear materialsReprocessing spent nuclear fuelUndermining nuclear non-proliferationRefusing international inspection of nuclear sitesMaintaining government secrecy concerning nuclear weapons testing Facilitates:
Stabilizing world orderReducing risk of intentional nuclear warReducing risk of unintentional nuclear warReinvesting military capacity in civil goals Facilitated by:
Improving military technologyCampaigning for nuclear disarmamentInforming about effects of nuclear warCampaigning against nuclear developmentsPromoting peaceful use of nuclear energyContinuing role of the USA for global stability Problems:
Accidents to nuclear weapons systemsCompetitive development of new weapons
Dubious viability of nuclear fuel reprocessing plants
Illegal exports of nuclear materials
Immigration of skilled workers to undesirable destinations
Inadequate facilities for disposal of nuclear warheads
Irresponsible transfer of sensitive technologies
Non-verifiability of compliance with nuclear arms treaties
Nuclear arms race
Nuclear terrorism
Nuclear war
Dumping radioactive substances
Nuclear weapons testing
Obstacles to unilateral nuclear disarmament
Pervasive fear of nuclear war
Plutonium overproduction
Proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology
Proliferation of strategic nuclear weapons
Radiation accidents
Risk of unintentional global nuclear war due to nuclear proliferation
Risk of unintentional nuclear war
Rogue states
Stockpiles of nuclear warfare material
Uncontrollable manufacture of destructive products
Vulnerable nuclear weapons arsenals
Values:
AbuseUnusedUnderuseProliferation Organizations:
International Atomic Energy Agency Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean European Atomic Energy Community International Coalition for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme for Promoting Nuclear Non-Proliferation Greenpeace International International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons Application of safeguards on implementation of article III 1 and 4 of the Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons Strategic arms reduction treaty Subjects:
Fundamental Sciences → MaterialSocietal Problems → Prevention
Societal Problems → Proliferation
Defence → Military
Defence → Arms
Type Classification:
C: Cross-sectoral strategies Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
