Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

This leaflet outlines the possible role of a Nuclear Weapons Convention as a stepping stone to the outlawing of nuclear weapons worldwide. It draws parallels with similar conventions with regards to land-mines and chemical weapons, which led to bans on both these types of weapons. It discusses the work of campaigners to push for the adoption of a Convention, including the work of ICAN and the model Convention submitted to the United Nations in 1997.

This useful Q&A explains clearly why it is vital that a Nuclear Weapons Convention, a worldwide treaty to ban all nuclear weapons, is negotiated. It is has been written by the UK section of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, of which CND is a member.

The work for this report was funded by a grant from the Nuclear Education Trust Disarmament treaties Bilateral treaties between the US and Russia Nuclear weapons testing Space related Nuclear Weapons Free Zones Future treaties Disarmament treaties   The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Widespread international concerns about the spiralling numbers of nuclear weapons and the danger of their proliferation led to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons or nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) being signed in 1968 and coming into force in 1970. Five states, including the UK, had already acquired nuclear weapons by this time and these nuclear…

The work for this report was funded by a grant from the Nuclear Education Trust July 2009 Ordered by total number of warheads possessed – largest to smallest Russia Number of warheads 13,000 nuclear weapons (of which 4,834 in operational stockpile - approximately 2,787 strategic and 2,047 non-strategic, with 8,166 in reserve or awaiting dismantlement) Nuclear weapon system details Submarines: 13 (5 Delta III class, 6 Delta IV class, 1 Typhoon class, 1 new Borei class SSBNs) with intercontinental ballistic missiles (missiles can carry from 3-4 warheads) Land-based: 383 intercontinental ballistic missiles of 5 different types with 1,600 nuclear warheads…

By Rick Wayman, CND intern January 2005 Introduction In the past few months, Iran’s nuclear programme has been the topic of much debate and speculation internationally. All of the Nuclear Weapons States have been involved in this debate and speculation, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and many others. US threats to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions have subsided somewhat in the past few weeks as the 'EU-3' (Germany, France, Britain) have exerted much diplomatic effort to resolve the situation. Recognising that this is a…

May 2002 Background When the British withdrew from the Indian subcontinent after the second world war, it was divided, primarily on religious grounds, into the two states of India and Pakistan. At that time Kashmir was included in India, but the issue of which state it should belong to has been contested ever since, largely because Kashmir's population is predominantly Muslim. In 1947 a United Nations resolution called for a referendum in Kashmir to settle the issue on the basis of what the people wanted. It was, however never carried out and it is generally assumed that the reason for…

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK – North Korea) July 2003 Background Ever since the Korean wars of the 1950s, the relationship between the DPRK and the US has been difficult. Each side has been deeply suspicious of the other. However, talks have taken place over the years and agreements have been reached. When the US withdrew its nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991, the DPRK agreed to fulfil its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that it had signed in 1985. These included a safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), which was finalised early…

Produced for the Labour Party Conference, Bournemouth, September 2003 The war on Iraq - end the occupation The most urgent question facing Labour supporters and all other British people must be: How much has the war in Iraq cost in terms of money, lives and our vital relationships with the rest of the world? The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has an ongoing interest in this question, and so do the rest of the British people. After all, the stated aim of the war was to disarm Iraq of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). CND's aims and objectives are:…

The US War Drive With the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in the early 1990s, there were great hopes world-wide for a more peaceful, de-nuclearised world. However, in recent years the reverse has occurred. The USA in particular has increasingly turned towards military solutions to complex regional problems, which has only served to exacerbate global tensions following the terrible attacks of September 11th. This has been accompanied by an increasing unilateralism on the part of the USA, including withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the International Criminal…

UK: Vertical Proliferation in context April 2004 Kate Hudson The likelihood of vertical proliferation is one of the greatest challenges facing the peace movement today. New nuclear weapons have certainly been on the US nuclear agenda since at least the mid-1990s, but there can be no doubt that under the Bush administration this orientation has been consolidated and accelerated. Whilst the talk amongst nuclear planners in the 1990s was of countering regional threats and ‘rogue states’, the US Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) of January 2002 clarified the extent of the new nuclear ambitions. Setting out the direction of US forces…

Iran's nuclear programme By Rick Wayman, CND intern January 2005 Introduction In the past few months, Iran’s nuclear programme has been the topic of much debate and speculation internationally. All of the Nuclear Weapons States have been involved in this debate and speculation, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and many others. US threats to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions have subsided somewhat in the past few weeks as the 'EU-3' (Germany, France, Britain) have exerted much diplomatic effort to resolve the situation. Recognising that…

This outlines the evidence that Israel possesses biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programmes, including tactical nuclear weapons, including the means to deliver them. It discusses the history of Israeli weapons programmes, including the support afforded by the US, Israel’s role in the militarization of space, the arms trade, and NATO’s relationship with Israel.

This briefing outlines the current impasse over Iran’s nuclear programme, as well as providing historical context. It describes the policy positions of key actors in the dispute, including the US, Iran, the EU-3 and the IAEA, and discusses the hypocritical positions of those opposing Iran’s nuclear programme in the light of their own policies on nuclear weapons. It calls for all parties to pursue peaceful negotiations towards a nuclear-free Middle East, and for existing nuclear powers’ obligations to eliminate their own arsenals to be enforced.

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