disarmament

Disarmament refers to the reduction or elimination of a country's military forces, capabilities, or weapons. It encompasses measures to reduce stockpiles of weapons, curb development and production, and prevent transfers to others. It can be unilateral, bilateral, regional, or multilateral. Disarmament is distinct from arms control, which aims to regulate and manage weapons to reduce risks without necessarily eliminating them.

Types include nuclear disarmament (reducing or eliminating nuclear arsenals), conventional disarmament (reducing conventional arms), chemical and biological disarmament, and broader strategic or modern arms-control measures such as weapons non-proliferation and demobilization.

Key mechanisms include international treaties and norms, verification and transparency, dismantling facilities, and destruction of weapons. Multilateral treaties create obligations and verification regimes, for example:

- Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) aims to prevent spread of nuclear weapons while pursuing disarmament.

- Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its OPCW verification regime.

- Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) prohibiting development and stockpiling of biological agents.

- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) establishing a ban on nuclear tests and a global monitoring system (though not yet in force).

- Regional and bilateral accords such as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT/START) and INF.

Challenges include security concerns, verification and compliance, enforcement, political will, and potential strategic instability from disarmament progress. Proponents argue disarmament can reduce the risk of war and free up resources; critics warn that rapid moves without reliable guarantees can threaten security. The international community continues to pursue gradual, verifiable disarmament through treaties, transparency, and confidence-building measures.