Hyderabad: The International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2024 is observed yearly on March 5.
What is Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: Disarmament is defined by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as the elimination of all Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), coupled with the 'balanced reduction' of armed forces and conventional armaments, based on the principle of undiminished security of the parties to promote or enhance stability at a lower military level, taking into account the need of all states to protect their security.
Nonproliferation is the limiting of the production and spread of nuclear or chemical weapons into the hands of non-state actors and rogue states.
History: The United Nations' first-ever International for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness was observed on March 5, 2023, to promote awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people. On December 7, 2022, the UNGA adopted a resolution and proclaimed March 5 of every year as the 'International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation' awareness.
Goals -
- Raise awareness about the dangers of weapons of mass destruction and the importance of disarmament and non-proliferation
- Promote education about disarmament and non-proliferation issues
- Encourage action to reduce the threat of weapons and promote peace and security
Development of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Wars and conflicts are nothing new to the humans. After the Industrial Revolution, the introduction of deadly weapons changed the face of warfare. The advent of modern weapon systems brought death and destruction resulting in millions of deaths in the 20th century. Chemical weapons were unleashed in World War 1, killing an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people and leaving 1.3 million injured, according to the Chemical & Engineering News (CEN), the magazine of the American Chemical Society. At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century. Tanks, submarines, Long Range Artillery guns and the use of aircraft in the mass bombing of civilian areas in the Second World War left many European cities in ruins.
The United States ended the Second World War by using a weapon unknown in human history. A nuclear bomb was dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with devastating effect. Over two lakh people died in these two cities. The Nuclear weapon was a turning point in modern warfare. The race for acquiring Nuclear weapons started between the powerful nations and eventually, all the Veto-Power Nations were successful in developing the nuclear weapons of their own.
The end of the Second World War culminated in the Cold War leading to an arms race between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the USA. More potent Nuclear weapons and delivery mechanisms were developed, like intercontinental ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched Nuclear Missiles. At the height of the Cold War, both nations the USA and USSR together had nuclear weapons sufficient enough to destroy the other nation many more times. As the decades moved India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea entered the nuclear club. Conventional warfare also changed due to the introduction of this weapon.
The need for disarmament in the 21st century
Disarmament is a tool to help prevent armed conflicts and mitigate their impacts. Cold war tensions have returned but in a much more complex and dangerous environment in a multi-polar world. Armed conflicts have become more frequent and deadly for civilians due to the use of modern weapons. Civil wars and conflict zones in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine are interconnected with regional and global rivalries involving many players, such as violent extremists, terrorists, organised militias and criminal elements.
Global military spending is increasing and has doubled in inflation-adjusted dollars since the end of the Cold War. The implementation of internationally agreed obligations is now decades overdue. Negotiations on strategic arms control are stalled and existing instruments are increasingly imperilled. 12,700 nuclear weapons remain an existential threat to humanity today.
The Challenges for Disarmament
The arms race and increase in Military spending: The Cold War produced an arms race between the USSR and the USA resulting in the stockpiling of thousands of nuclear weapons, missiles and other deadly weapons. At one time in 1965, the US had 35,000 nuclear weapons in its arsenal. The arms race between nations is a threat to global peace. The Cold War might have ended but competition between the nations has not ended. Global and regional players are spending millions to acquire new technologies to counter adversaries.
According to the latest assessment by a British military think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), global defence spending increased to a record $2.2 trillion in 2023. China is increasing its arsenal to counter the USA. India is facing adversaries on both sides of the border.
Japan is also trying to counter the evergrowing China by increasing its defence spending. In the Middle East, there is an arms race between Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The IISS said the current situation in several regions of the world has created a highly volatile security environment.
Non-Proliferation - Progress In Reducing Nuclear Weapon Arsenals
Even after 79 years of witnessing the Nuclear holocaust, several states are continuing to base their national security policies on acquiring nuclear weapons. A major impediment to a nuclear-free world is the discriminatory rules of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) signed in 1968. The Treaty prohibits non-nuclear weapon state parties from developing nuclear weapons. However, the NPT exempts five de jure nuclear weapon states (NWS) (France, the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) from this ban.
This is seen as a bias by the non-nuclear weapon states. Approximately 91 per cent of all nuclear warheads are owned by Russia and the United States (US) who each have around 4,000 warheads in their military stockpiles. Still, a lot of work has to be done for a Nuclear-free world. 96 per cent of the world's declared stockpiles of chemical weapons have been destroyed under international verification. However, chemical weapons made a re-entry in the Syrian conflict in Aleppo, Ghouta in 2013.
The way forward
Disarmament and arms control are key for peace and security in the World. In pursuit of their global domination, the powerful nations are jeopardising global peace. It is the responsibility of the world powers for the future of coming generations to resolve conflicts through peaceful resolution.
