Eng. / Fr.
NATO has a long-standing commitment to an active policy in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. The Alliance continues to pursue its security objectives through these policies, while at the same time ensuring that its collective defence obligations are met and the full range of its missions fulfilled.
Arms control and disarmament are key elements of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. Over the past two decades, they have significantly contributed to more stable international relations at lower levels of military forces and armaments, through effective and verifiable arms control agreements.
Allies participate actively in international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and agreements. NATO continues to encourage its members, partners and other nations to implement fully their international obligations.
NATO’s policies in these fields cover consultation and practical cooperation in a wide range of areas. These include conventional arms control; nuclear policy issues; promoting mine action and combating the spread of small arms and light weapons (SALW), munitions and man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS); and developing capabilities to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
At the Bucharest Summit in 2008, Allied leaders took note of a report on raising NATO’s profile in the fields of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. As part of a broader response to security issues, they agreed that NATO should continue to contribute to international efforts in these fields and keep these issues under active review.
Allies have reduced their conventional forces significantly from Cold War levels. They remain committed to the regime of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, as a cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security and are deeply concerned by Russia’s unilateral “suspension” of its obligations under the CFE regime. Discussions are ongoing with Russia, both in the framework of the NATO-Russia Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on how to work towards ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty.
More…Active policies in arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation have been an inseparable part of NATO’s contribution to security and stability since the Harmel Report of 1967.
More…A number of NATO bodies oversee different aspects of Alliance activities in the fields of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. Overall political guidance is provided by the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s highest decision-making body. More detailed oversight of activities and policy in specific areas is provided by a number of bodies including the High Level Task Force (HLTF) on Conventional Arms Control, the Nuclear Planning Group High Level Group (NPG/HLG), the Senior Defence Group on Proliferation (DGP) and the Senior Politico-Military Group on Proliferation (SGP).
Within NATO’s cooperative frameworks, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (in particular, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Small Arms and Light Weapons and Mine Action) and the NATO-Russia Council (in particular, the Arms Control Experts Group, the NRC Ad Hoc Working Group on Proliferation Issues and the NRC Group of Nuclear Experts) have central roles.
