Nuclear Arms Control

Three decades after the end of the Cold War nuclear dangers are on the rise again for a variety of reasons: the arms control system, which was established between Moscow and the West over the last decades, is in decline. At the same time, since its all-out war against Ukraine, Russia is openly threatening to use nuclear weapons and - by doing so - undermining "the nuclear taboo". Beyond NATO and Russia, the owners of ninety percent of worldwide nuclear weapons, smaller nuclear weapon states such as China, India and Pakistan, are slowly increasing their arsenals. Despite international efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions, North Korea joined the club of nuclear powers, whereas Iran has been a nuclear threshold state for almost two decades.

But there is also hope: a growing number of states, supported by civil society organizations such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), is calling for a total prohibition of nuclear weapons. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into force in 2021, is the strongest expression for this new push for global nuclear disarmament.

Nuclear Disarmament

Explosion of an atomic bomb with a mushroom cloud, in the foreground beach with palm trees

Nuclear Weapons and Their Humanitarian and Ecological Consequences

Dossier

In this dossier, activists from communities affected by nuclear weapons production, use and testing tell their stories. They are highlighting that the destructive effects of nuclear weapons do not belong to the past, but to the present.

Nuclear Arms Control: The Most Relevant Treaties

Overview

There is a significant number of bilateral and multilateral treaties in the field of arms control, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation. A short description of the most relevant treaties can be found here.

Emerging & disruptive technologies and nuclear weapons decision making

Report

Nuclear weapons remain at the core of modern security strategies, and all great powers of the 21st century rely on nuclear deterrence to some extent. A workshop organized by the European Leadership Network (ELN) focused on the impact of new and disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Quantum Computing on nuclear decision-making. The major findings of the workshop are summarized in this report.

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Grafik mit neun gelben Quadraten mit verschiedenen Symbolen

Nuclear Sharing in Germany

Website

Intense political discussions have repeatedly taken place around Nuclear Sharing. The website "Nuclear Sharing" is a one-stop resource for technical, historical, legal, and political information. A common project between the IFSH and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Women's March against nuclear bombs on June 17th 2017 in New York. The women's march ended at the UN, where current negotiations are being held with countries around the world on nuclear disarmament

A feminist critique of the atomic bomb

Background

A feminist analysis can help us understand how nuclear weapons are a patriarchal tool, and how it benefits the patriarchy to advocate for their continued existence in the arsenals of a few and selected governments.

By Ray Acheson

Eastern and Central European analyses on nuclear disarmament

In cooperation with ICAN International, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has supported four young researchers from Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Ukraine to write new analyses on nuclear disarmament in Eastern and Central Europe.

The Crisis of Nuclear Disarmament and Arms Control: Diagnosis and Future Concepts

The instruments of bi- and multilateral nuclear disarmament and arms control are in a state of despair. Under the label of N.EX.T. (Nuclear Expert Talks), fifteen scholars from Europe, Russia, and the United States gathered in Berlin in November 2016 to discuss the current state of disarmament and arms control.

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Reflections after a Week of Campaigning for a Ban on Nuclear Weapons at the UN

Nuclear disarmament has long been a distant issue in the life of Philippinean peace advocator Loreta Castro. Over the last two years of involvement she began to see it as an urgent imperative.

By Loreta Castro

The Time Has Come (for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons) - H Wokusch

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The Time Has Come (for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons)

The Future of Arms Control

Publication Series on Democarcy 37: The escalation of the armed conflict in Syria has been a painful reminder of the need to strengthen arms control and non-proliferation efforts. This publication is an opportunity to figure out what steps should be taken to strengthen cooperative efforts in controlling and reducing military capabilities.

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