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DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL (CONTINUED):Other Disarmament Efforts

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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
LESSON 24
DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL (CONTINUED)
Disarmament after WWII
The devastation unleashed by WWII again led to calls for disarmament. The UN charter laid much
emphasis on the need for disarmament. The UN established a Military Staff Committee to assist the
Security Council to regulate armaments and explore means for disarmament.
Disarmament efforts by the UN
The UN established the Atomic Energy Commission consisting of all five Security Council members and
Canada.
The Commission was meant to explore mechanisms for peaceful transfer of nuclear technology, to identify
safeguards by way of inspections for compliant states to prevent hazards of violation and to eventually work
towards elimination of nuclear weapons.
While both superpowers agreed to cooperate, their divergent stances (the US arguing that control take
precedence over disarmament and the USSR arguing the reverse) on the Commission goals led to its
ineffectiveness.
The General Assembly of the UN also established a Commission on Conventional Armaments, which also
felt victim to Cold War divergences, ultimately the USSR pulled out of both Commissions due to China's
representation on them.
Atoms for Peace Plan
In 1953, President Eisenhower of the US proposed establishment of a pool of fissionable materials donated
by declared nuclear states to the Atomic Energy Commission, which could be provided to other countries
strictly for peaceful purposes.
The Soviets opposed this plan arguing that an agreement on prohibiting nuclear weapons was first necessary
prior to disseminating nuclear technology.
Other Disarmament Efforts
Many disarmament and arms control efforts were undertaken through bilateral means between the two
superpowers, the biggest proliferations of armaments in the post-WWII period (NTBT, NPT, SALT I and
II).
The six nation summit held in New Dehli in 1985 is indicative of the growing concern amongst developing
countries about arms race, particularly nuclear weapons (Ironically, India too is now a declared nuclear
state).
CTBT
The NTP review conference was held in Geneva in 1995 which recommended infinite extension of the
NTP. Israel, Pakistan and India were criticized for not acceding to the NPT nor to the subsequent CTBT,
which even forbids tests required for developing nuclear weapons.
Even France signed the CTBT after conducting its last nuclear test in the South Pacific. India and Pakistan
remain reluctant and argue that the advanced nuclear states can keep their weaponry safe and updated by
tests stimulated in lab settings.
Relevant Vocabulary
Compliant: agreeing or accepting
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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
Reliant: reliable
Divergent: differing or opposing
Reluctant: hesitant
Stimulated: replicated or duplicated in different conditions
Subsequent: thereafter
Proliferation: spread or dissemination
Forbid: prohibit or does not allow
Elimination: removal or destruction
Regulation: to provide guidelines or parameters
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 7 in `"A Study of International Relations" by Dr. Sultan Khan
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-pages for this lecture, which
provide useful and interesting information:
CTBT Website
www.clw.org/coalition/ctbindex.htm
Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHAT IS ITS RELEVANCE?
  2. APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THEORIES IN IR
  3. APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:Traditional Approach
  4. THE NATION-STATE SYSTEM:Further Evolution of Nation-State
  5. THE NATION STATE SYSTEM: BASIC FEATURES OF A NATION-STATE
  6. NATIONAL INTEREST:Criteria for Defining National Interest
  7. NATIONAL INTEREST:Variations in National Interest, Relevant Vocabulary
  8. BALANCE OF POWER (BOP):BoP from a historical perspective
  9. BALANCE OF POWER (CONTINUED):Degree of Polarization, Functions of BoP
  10. DIPLOMACY:How Diplomacy Functions, Traditional Versus Modern Diplomacy
  11. DIPLOMACY (CONTINUED):Diplomatic Procedures & Practices, Functions of Diplomacy
  12. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Judging Colonization
  13. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Types of Neo-Colonialism
  14. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Objectives of Imperialism
  15. NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER:Criticism of IEO, NIEO Activities
  16. NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER:Prerequisites for the NIEO
  17. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT:Origin of NAM, NAM’s Institutional Structure
  18. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT (CONTINUED):Cairo Summit, Egypt - 1964
  19. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT:Criticism of NAM, NAM and Pakistan
  20. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS - INTRODUCING THE COLD WAR PHENOMENON
  21. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS (CONTINUED):Truman Doctrine, Marshal Plan
  22. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS (CONTINUED):End of the Cold War
  23. DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL:History of Disarmament
  24. DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL (CONTINUED):Other Disarmament Efforts
  25. THE RELEVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
  26. THE RELEVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (CONTINUED)
  27. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:Need for IGOs, Categorizing IGOs
  28. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (CONTINUED):United Nations, Criticism of the UN
  29. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (CONTINUED):European Union, World Bank
  30. THE ROLE OF DECISION MAKING IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
  31. DECISION MAKING (CONTINUED):Rational Actor Model, Group Politics Model
  32. SYSTEMS APPROACH TO IR:Underlying Assumptions, Elements of the System
  33. SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH (CONTINUED) – DISTINCT SYSTEMS IN IR
  34. LIBERALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY:Neoliberalism
  35. LIBERALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY (CONTINUED):Liberalism vs. Social Democracy
  36. INTEGRATION IN IR:Preconditions for Integration, Assessing Integration
  37. GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS:Advocates of Globalization
  38. THE GLOBAL DIVIDE:World Social Forum, Can the Global Divide Be Bridged?
  39. FOCUS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENTS:Pro-poor Foreign Investments
  40. CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION:Components of a Conflict
  41. CONFLICT RESOLUTION:Creative response, Appropriate assertiveness
  42. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT:Global Concern for the Environment
  43. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT:Environmental Concerns and IR, Some Other Issues
  44. HOW IR DIFFER FROM DOMESTIC POLITICS?:Strategies for altering state behavior
  45. CHANGE AND IR:Continuity in IR, Causality and counterfactuals, IR in a nutshell