Weapons of Mass Destruction, Non-Proliferation & Arms Control

Delegates to a two-week conference in Geneva to review the 40-year-old nuclear nonproliferation regime spent considerable time on challenges posed by Iranian and North Korean nuclear endeavors. At the conclusion of the discussions May 9, the nuclear weapons states attending the 2008 Preparatory Commission meeting to examine the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) issued a statement pointing to the proliferation risks posed by Iran’s nuclear program and calling them “a matter of ongoing serious concern.” This was the first time that France, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and the United States agreed to a statement in the context of the “PrepCom” meetings, which are held ahead of more formal treaty reviews conducted every five years. Representatives from those countries said international peace and security is threatened by nuclear proliferation and that the NPT regime needs to be strengthened now to thrive in the future.

2008: Nuclear Weapons States Issue Strong Nonproliferation Signal (May 13, 2008) | Ambassador Schulte’s Address on Iran’s Enrichment in London (Apr 15, 2008)

More than 80 nations on six continents have committed to halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and related parts under a program launched by President Bush four years ago in Poland. A voluntary effort, the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is designed to keep the world's most deadly weapons and components from reaching terrorists or criminals. More than two dozen PSI exercises have been organized using air, ground or maritime forces from a variety of nations. Slovenia, an early PSI supporter, hosted the most recent one, entitled “Adriatic Gate 2007.” The exercise scenario, which unfolded in Slovenia’s port of Koper, engaged Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina in a collaborative effort to intercept a suspicious cargo, thought to be nuclear or chemical ingredients needed to produce a deadly weapon. The United States and other PSI nations lent their expertise and support to the May 27-29 exercise. The United States also worked with Lithuania when it hosted an air exercise in Vilnius and Siauliai April 26-27. Exercise “Smart Raven” focused on how the systems of Lithuania worked with those of like-minded nations, including neighboring Estonia, Latvia and Poland, to intercept a hypothetical air shipment of proliferation materials. 

2007: Weapons Anti-Proliferation Initiative Draws More Participants (May 31, 2007) | U.S. Supports Southeast Asian, Balkan Mine Removal Projects (Jan 11, 2007)

2006: Twenty-Five Nations To Join in Nonproliferation Exercise (Oct 28, 2006) | U.S.-EU Summit Declaration (Jun 21, 2006) and 2006 U.S.-EU Summit Progress Report on Political and Security Issues | U.S., Europeans Set To Refer Iran to Security Council, Rice Says (Jan 26, 2006)

The United States and the European Union (EU) issued a declaration and joint statement June 20, 2005, on their cooperative efforts to address the global challenges of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The documents were released by the White House in connection with the U.S.-European Union Summit in Washington, where President Bush hosted Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the Council of the EU, and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission at the White House. “Fighting terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, coupled with the risk that such weapons could be acquired by terrorists, remain our greatest security challenges,” said the joint declaration. The declaration specifically cited the need to resolve the proliferation implications of Iran's advanced nuclear program, and it also expressed concern over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

2005: United States, EU Cooperate Against WMD Proliferation, Terrorism (Jun 20, 2005) | U.S., EU Cooperate on Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Feb 22, 2005)

2004: Grossman Says U.S., Europe Can Work to Create Better World (Jun 29, 2004) | Halting Spread of WMD Key Goal for United States, European Union (Jun 26, 2004)

2003: Joint Statement on Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Jun 25, 2003)