11. Nuclear arms control

Summary

In 1996 some progress was made in advancing
the nuclear arms control agenda in addition to the completion
of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. In the USA and across
the former USSR the large-scale dismantlement of strategic nuclear
weapons and associated infrastructure proceeded ahead of the schedule
set out in the START I Treaty. Within the framework of the treaty,
Belarus and Ukraine fulfilled their pledges to withdraw to Russia the
nuclear warheads based on their territories. International efforts
to curb the spread of nuclear weapons received a boost when the
Treaty of Pelindaba, establishing an African nuclear weapon-free
zone, was opened for signature in Cairo.

There were also clear signs that the momentum
behind further nuclear arms control measures was waning. The Russian
Parliament appeared increasingly disinclined to ratify the START
II Treaty, despite the US Senate's vote in favour of the treaty
in January. US-Russian negotiations to clarify the application
of the ABM Treaty to theatre missile defence systems continued to
spark controversy, and bilateral talks on nuclear confidence-building and
transparency measures remained in limbo. At the Conference on
Disarmament, no progress was made towards a global ban on production
of fissile material for military purposes.

Appendix 11A. Tables of nuclear forces

ROBERT S. NORRIS AND WILLIAM M. ARKIN

Appendix 11A contains tables of nuclear
forces.