Nedrustningen

Nedrustningen, meaning disarmament in Swedish and Norwegian, refers to the policy and practice of reducing, limiting, or eliminating weapons and military capabilities. It covers all arms, including weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons, and related delivery systems. Disarmament is distinct from arms control, which emphasizes limits and verification without necessarily eliminating arsenals.

Historical context: Since the mid-20th century, international efforts have sought to reduce the danger of war through treaties, inspections, and diplomatic agreements. The United Nations has played a central role, with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) forming core regimes. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) aims to halt explosive testing. In parallel, treaties on conventional arms have sought to curb specific risks, such as the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines and various bilateral agreements on strategic forces.

Institutions and mechanisms: Disarmament work relies on international bodies, including the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Verification and compliance rely on inspections, reporting, and confidence-building measures. Some regimes are legally binding; others rely on diplomatic frameworks and ongoing dialogue.

Challenges: Achieving verifiable, durable disarmament is difficult given security concerns, strategic rivalries, technological advances, and uneven regional stability. Compliance, verification, and enforcement remain contested. Nevertheless, disarmament efforts influence global security by reducing the probability of war and freeing resources for development.