Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Disarmament and arms control are central elements of the global security architecture. They are not concerns of the past, rather, pressing challenges of the present and of the future. Disarmament is a multilateral process which creates trust between states – and is, at the same time, a central mission of the United Nations. The uncontrolled spread of nuclear weapons is one of the greatest threats to our security. The danger exists that, in ten years, the number of nuclear-armed nations will double and also that terrorists will come into possession of nuclear weapons. Curtailing this danger is a matter of survival.

The United Nations is engaged with the questions of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation in a range of fora: the First Committee of the General Assembly and the Disarmament Commission of the United Nations in New York as well as the Geneva Conference on Disarmament. Together they form the institutional framework for the global multilateral disarmament dialog of the United Nations.

Germany is committed to substantial progress in disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. This commitment is a core concern of German foreign policy. We press for the strengthening of existing arms control instruments – such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (“Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons”) and the UN Program of Action on Small Arms – and at the same time to have new agreements take force, such as the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and an Arms Trade Treaty. Germany is therefore committed to numerous initiatives, through frameworks such as “Friends of the Non-Proliferation Treaty” and as Chair of the “Group of Interested States for Practical Disarmament Measures.”