Arms Control & Non Proliferation

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Related material from the State Department & America.gov:

• Cluster Munitions
• Glossary of Nuclear Terms
• Key Facts about the New START Treaty
• Arms Control policy : key documents
• Nuclear Policy : Key documents
• Nuclear Postur Review website
• Nonproliferation : Key documents
• Nuclear Security : Research Aids

Arms Control & NPT News

16 November 2011  U.S. Position on the Convention on Conventional Weapons Negotiations on Cluster Munitions Protocol   Department of State Legal Advisor Harold Koh and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Bill Lietzau discuss the U.S. position on the Convention on Conventional Weapons negotiated on a protocol on cluster munitions.

03 November 2011 State Department Fact Sheet on Chemical Weapons Convention  

03 November 2011 Leading with International Cooperation to Strengthen Stability in Space Remarks by Frank A. Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance at the Near Space Security Conference, London.

02 November 2011 Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Interview with State’s Gottemoeller   Interview by Rose Gottemoeller,
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.

27 October 2011 From the Manhattan Project to the Cloud: Arms Control in the Information Age  Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, giving the Sidney Drell Lecture at Stanford University, Stanford, CA.

26 October 2011 New Arms-Reduction Treaty Builds U.S., Russian Confidence  The New START arms-reduction treaty, an agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce each nation’s nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than a half century, has been “a great success” since its February implementation, according to a senior U.S. diplomat.
 • With New START, U.S., Russia Commit to Disarmament (April 2010)

25 October 2011 Updated Fact Sheet: New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Offensive Arms  Data in this Fact Sheet comes from the biannual exchange of data required by the Treaty. It contains data declared current as of September 1, 2011.

18 October 2011  Trans-Atlantic Missile Defense: Phase II and the Lead Up to the NATO Chicago Summit  Under Secretary Tauscher on Trans-Atlantic Missile Defense.

03 October 2011 Effective Approaches for US Participation in a More Secure Global Nuclear Market  Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Tauscher in Remarks to Bipartisan Policy Center's Nuclear Initiative Conference.

29 September 2011 Key P-5 Public Statements on the scope of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
• Fact sheet: Scope of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

26 September 2011 State Dept. Fact Sheet: Benefits of Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty 

23 September 2011 Under Secretary Tauscher at Nuclear Treaty Conference in New York  Remarks by Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, CTBT Article XIV Conference in New York City.

15 September 2011 U.S.-Poland Missile Plan Enters into Force  The United States and Poland announced that an agreement to place land-based SM-3 interceptors at a small air base near the northern town of Redzikowo, Poland, part of a broader limited missile defense system for Europe, has entered into force.
 • White House Fact Sheet: Implementing Missile Defense in Europe

01 September 2011 U.S. Priorities for the NPT and Moving Forward
Remarks by Marcie B. Ries, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.

01 September 2011 Fact Sheet: The Case for the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty: Some Key Points

26 August 2011 Fact Sheet: Securing Dangerous Materials’ Stockpiles in Libya  Libya has been a country of proliferation concern and attention by the United States for many years. Since the beginning of the crisis in Libya this year, the United States has focused on the potential that increased insecurity on the ground could increase proliferation risks, including with the country’s remaining stockpiles of uranium, chemical agents, and conventional weapons.

04 August 2011 21st Century Deterrence Challenges  Remarks by Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.

28 July 2011 Arms Control and Nonproliferation: The Road from Prague to Today Remarks by Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

25 July 2011 U.S. Missile Defense and Regional Security Frank Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, talks about the U.S. approach to missile defense and cooperation with other countries, including Israel.

19 July 2011 Countering Weapons Proliferation in Libya a Top U.S. Priority  Countering the proliferation in Libya of small arms and light weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, is a top U.S. national security priority, according to the State Department.

13 July 2011 U.S., Russia Sign Agreements on Adoption, Plutonium Disposal   Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the advancement of U.S.-Russian relations under the Obama administration and said both countries need to “continue and maintain the momentum” for the good of their people.  Clinton met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington, where they signed agreements to increase cooperation in nuclear-weapons-grade plutonium disposal, air navigation, visa services between the two countries, research on the effects of radiation exposure safeguarding adoption procedures.

01 July 2011 Joint Statement on First P-5 Follow-Up Meeting to the NPT Review Conference 

28 June 2011 P-5 Conference on Confidence Building Measures towards Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation  Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, will travel to Paris, where she will lead a U.S. delegation to the second Conference on Confidence Building Measures towards Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation from 29  June  to 01 July 2011. She will be joined by Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, and a distinguished inter-agency delegation, including Gary Samore, Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

16 June 2011 Twelfth Royal United Services Institute Missile Defense Conference  Remarks by Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, at RUSI in London, United Kingdom.

14 June 2011 Obama Committed to Ratifying Nuclear Test Ban Treaty The Obama administration will urge the U.S. Senate to ratify the 1996 treaty that bans all nuclear testing, and U.S. officials say they are in a position to make a strong case to overcome the objections lawmakers had when it came up for consideration in 1999.

01 June 2011 New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms (State Department Factsheet)

12 May 2011 Statement on Export Control Reform  Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security

10 May 2011 U.S. Makes Progress Toward World Without Nuclear Weapons  The Obama administration has dedicated “unprecedented financial, political and technical resources to prevent proliferation” and is making progress in moving toward a world without nuclear weapons, says Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher.

03 May 2011 Fact Sheet: Phased Adaptive Approach to European Missile Defense 

20 April 2011 Security Council Strengthens Global Nonproliferation and Counterterrorism Measures  Today, the United Nations Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to international nonproliferation and counterterrorism efforts by unanimously adopting resolution 1977, and extending the mandate of the 1540 Committee for 10 years. Resolution 1977 reaffirms Security Council resolution 1540, which obliges states to implement measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

14 April 2011 U.S. Inspectors Begin Verifying Reduction of Russian Nuclear Arms  A team of U.S. inspectors has arrived in Russia as part of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which reduces and limits the nuclear arsenals of both countries. The treaty calls for on-site inspections in order to verify that the world’s two largest nuclear powers are complying with the terms of the agreement.

13 April 2011 Commencement of New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty Inspection Activities
Related:
 • Fact Sheet: Role of Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers
 • Fact Sheet: Implementation Timeline for New START Requirements

04 April 2011 Strengthening Stability in Space Remarks by Frank A. Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR),  Space Security Conference 2011: Building on the Past, Stepping Towards the Future

31 March 2011 U.S. To Make Voluntary Contribution to United Nations Nonproliferation Efforts  "Today, the United States announced its planned voluntary contribution to UN nonproliferation efforts pursuant to UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1540. The United States plans to contribute $3 million to the UN Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament later this year."

21 March 2011 Under Secretary Tauscher on U.S. Missile Defense Plans 

03 March 2011 Clinton Urges Negotiators to Adopt Nuclear Materials Treaty  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for the Conference on Disarmament to move ahead quickly on a proposed treaty that would ban the production of nuclear-weapons-usable fissile materials.

28 February 2011 Secretary Clinton's Remarks At the Conference on Disarmament  Remarks made in  Geneva, Switzerland.

09 February 2011 The Way Forward After New START Remarks by Rose Gottemoeller Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance

08 February 2011 U.S., Russia Arms Reduction Begins Next Stage  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have ratified the New START treaty, an arms reduction agreement that Clinton says "lessens the nuclear dangers facing the Russian and American people and the world."  The agreement will reduce each nation’s nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than a half-century.

08 February 2011 United States, China Partner to Fight Nuclear Threats  The United States and China pledged to cooperate on combating nuclear proliferation and enhancing nuclear security during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s recent visit to Washington.

05 February 2011 United States and Russia Conclude New START Arms Cut Pact  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov exchanged diplomatic documents February 5 in Munich, concluding a two-year effort to reduce nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than 50 years.  The instruments of ratification signed by Clinton and Lavrov to implement the New START pact govern reducing the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 for each nation from 2,200 warheads. The treaty succeeds the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expired in December 2010.
 • Fact Sheet: Role of Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers
 • Fact Sheet: Implementation Timeline for New START Requirements

02 February 2011  President Obama signs new START Treaty  The President signs a landmark nuclear arms treaty with Russia, New START, which will advance our security, our relations with Russia, and our progress toward a world not imperiled by nuclear weapons.
 • Message from the President to the Senate on the New START Treaty

27 January 2011 Opening Statement to the Conference on Disarmament Remarks by Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.

22 December 2010  U.S. Senate Ratifies New START Treaty The U.S. Senate ratified the New START arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia that will reduce each nation’s nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than a half century.

22 December 2010  Statement by Secretary Clinton on the Senate Approval of New START Treaty

18 December 2010 Obama's Letter to Senate on Missile Defense and New START

13 December 2010 Investments in Ballistic Missile Defense  The Administration is committed to defending the U.S. homeland against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack and defending against regional missile threats to U.S. forces and Allies. This commitment is reflected in substantial investments in ballistic missile defense (BMD).

10 December 2010 Biological Weapons Pact Offers Cooperation Against Pandemics   The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), which took effect in 1975, originally was designed to ban the development, production and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons by nation states. To meet the threats of the 21st century, however, signatories are also using the convention to try to prevent bioterrorism and to expand information sharing and communication that can be used to combat any pandemic, spread deliberately or otherwise.

24 November 2010 Vice President Joe Biden on the Case for Ratifying New Start OP-ED in the Wall Street Journal.

18 November 2010 President Obama's Remarks at Meeting on New START Treaty
 • Fact Sheet on U.S. Commitment to Nuclear Weapons Deterrent

16 November 2010 Statement by Vice President Biden on New START Treaty  "Failure to pass the New START Treaty this year would endanger our national security. Without ratification of this Treaty, we will have no Americans on the ground to inspect Russia’s nuclear activities, no verification regime to track Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal, less cooperation between the two nations that account for 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, and no verified nuclear reductions. The New START treaty is a fundamental part of our relationship with Russia, which has been critical to our ability to supply our troops in Afghanistan and to impose and enforce strong sanctions on the Iranian government."

15 November 2010 Clinton, Gates on Why Senate Should Ratify New START Treaty  In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urge the U.S. Senate to ratify the New START Treaty.

03 November 2010 New START Treaty: It’s Time for Senate to Vote  A fact sheet from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Arms Control, Verification & Compliance.

15 October  2010 The New START Treaty   Remarks by Delegation of the U.S.A. to the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, New York City

06 October 2010 Brave Individuals Work to Right the Wrongs of Land Mines  Long after peace has replaced war, they continue to kill. Their victims are not soldiers, but civilians — many of them children.  These persistent killers are land mines, and there are millions of them buried the world over.

21 September 2010 Energy Secretary Chu Proposes International Nuclear Fuel Bank U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has proposed the creation of an international civilian nuclear fuel bank to encourage the peaceful use of nuclear power while enhancing global efforts to curb nuclear weapons development.

16 September 2010 Senate Panel Approves Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Landmark arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia would significantly reduce their nuclear arsenals.

15 September 2010 New Arms Reduction Treaty Enhances Weapons Inspections A key component of the New START is more open on-site inspections of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery.

14 September 2010 U.S. Officials Discuss the New START Arms Cut Pact Discussion focuses on nuclear weapons, nuclear technology, arms control.

13 August 2010  The New START's Categories of Data Pertaining to Strategic Offensive Arms Fact Sheet: The New START obligates the Parties to exchange a large amount and variety of data on their respective strategic nuclear forces.

11 August 2010 U.S. Officials on Ratification of New START Treaty Secretary Clinton says Senate panel will consider arms cut treaty in mid-September.

06 August 2010 The U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative
 •  Q&A: Civil nuclear cooperation with India on the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)

03 August 2010 U.S. Works to Eliminate Threats from Land Mines, Munitions  Civilians across the world confront the remnants of wars and civil strife each day in the form of unexploded land mines and leftover small arms that can destroy lives and livelihoods. Since 1993, the United States has worked with governments, private groups and organizations in more than 50 countries to eradicate these threats, says Brigadier General Thomas Masiello.

02 August 2010 Deployed, Non-Deployed Launchers in New START Treaty New treaty provides different counting rules, limits than START Treaty.

26 July 2010  The New START Treaty and Verification Provisions  Remarks by Assistant Secretary Rose Gottemoeller, Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation, at the United States Institute of Peace.

26 July 2010 Arms Treaty Promotes Openness, Better U.S.-Russian Relations   The new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia promotes openness between the two former Cold War foes and greater stability between the world's two largest nuclear powers, says a senior U.S. arms negotiator.

17 June 2010 New START Enhances U.S.-Russian Relations  A new nuclear arms reduction treaty will foster a stable, open and predictable relationship between the United States and Russia, who together possess more than 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, top leaders in the Obama administration say.

07 June 2010 Ambassador Kelly at Open Skies Review Conference  Open Skies one of most effective Euro-Atlantic arms control treaties.

01 June 2010 NPT Review Conference Affirms Obama’s Nonproliferation Agenda  U.S. officials lauded the agreement resulting from the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York as furthering President Obama’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons where all countries can enjoy access to peaceful nuclear energy.

28 May 2010 Background briefing on Nuclear Nonproliferation Efforts with regard to Iran and the Brazil/Turkey Agreement

27 May 2010 Prospects for U.S.-Russia Missile Defense Cooperation  Remarks by Deputy Assistant Secretary Frank A. Rose at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, London

18 May 2010 U.S. Officials Call for New START Ratification   Senior U.S. officials urged the U.S. Senate to approve a new arms control pact with Russia that will improve relations with the former Cold War foe and enhance national security and diplomatic credibility while not undercutting U.S. nuclear forces.
 • Clinton’s Remarks at Senate Hearing on New START Treaty

13 May 2010 Joint Statement By The Delegations Of The Russian Federation And The U.S. On New Start Treaty

10 May 2010 Message from Obama on Peaceful Nuclear Agreement with Russia  Resubmits proposed agreement by U.S. and Russia for congressional review.

08 May 2010 Obama's Interview on Channel Rossiya, Russian TV Discusses Russian-American relations, the New START Treaty and Iran.

07 May 2010 Highlighting the U.S. Commitment to Nuclear Disarmament   By Ellen Tauscher, under secretary of state for arms control and international security.

06 May 2010 U.N. Permanent Five Promote Nuclear Nonproliferation  The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council strongly endorsed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and called on all 189 nations that participate in it to conform to its principles to block the spread of nuclear weapons, pursue disarmament and promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

06 May 2010 U.S. Reaffirms Its Support for WMD-Free Middle East  The United States joined the four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council in expressing a commitment to fully implement a 1995 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty resolution that would establish the Middle East as a region free of weapons of mass destruction.

05 May 2010 Obama Praises Indonesia’s Intent to Ratify Test Ban Treaty  President Obama welcomed Indonesia’s announcement that it is initiating the process of ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, describing it as a signal that more countries are joining what he called “a renewed effort to reinforce global nonproliferation.”

04 May 2010 Toward a World Free from Nuclear Danger  "I want to thank the United Kingdom as they join us this week as we work with our partners to reinvigorate the NPT, the cornerstone of the international nonproliferation regime and an essential foundation for eventual nuclear disarmament".

04 May 2010 United States Reveals Size of Nuclear Arsenal  In an effort to strengthen global arms control, the United States has revealed that it has 5,113 operational warheads in its nuclear arsenal. “Increasing the transparency of our nuclear weapons stockpile, and our dismantlement as well, is important to both our nonproliferation efforts and to the efforts we have under way to pursue arms control that will follow the New START Treaty,” a senior U.S. defense official said at a Pentagon briefing.

04 May 2010 Iran, North Korea Criticized for Violating Nuclear Commitments  Countries at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York must use the monthlong gathering not only to strengthen efforts toward disarmament and expanded use of peaceful nuclear energy, but also to send a strong message to violators such as Iran and North Korea that “they will pay a high price for breaking the rules,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

03 May 2010 Secretary Clinton press availability at the United Nations  
 • The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Promoting Non-Proliferation

03 May 2010 New U.S. Support for Nuclear Weapons-Free Zones and Energy Use  Countries gathered at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference must decide if the 21st century will be a time that sees the continued spread of nuclear weapons or a period that helps realize the vision of a world without them, said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

29 April 2010 Under Secretary Tauscher on Upcoming Review of Nuclear Treaty  The Non-ProliferationTtreaty (NPT) constitutes the legal barrier to nuclear weapons proliferation.

14 April 2010 Summit Achieves Commitments to Prevent Nuclear Terror  Obama administration national security officials say the April 12–13 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington succeeded not only in increasing international recognition of the shared threat from nuclear terrorism, but also resulted in concrete actions and decisions from the participants, ranging from increasing the security of nuclear materials and expertise to reducing the availability of highly enriched uranium and plutonium.

13 April 2010 Global Leaders Endorse Securing of All Nuclear Material by 2014   Following two days of meetings in Washington, leaders from around the world agreed to take tangible and meaningful steps to secure the world’s nuclear materials. President Obama, who initiated the global effort in a speech in Prague in April 2009, called the collective agreement “a testament to what is possible” in multilateral partnership.
 • Obama's Closing Remarks, Press Conference at Nuclear Summit
 • Clinton, Russia’s Lavrov Sign Plutonium Disposition Protocol
 • Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement  

13 April 2010 U.S., China Share Concern over Iranian Nuclear Program  President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao have instructed their delegations to work with other nations and the U.N. Security Council in drafting potential sanctions against Iran over its nuclear development program, a senior presidential adviser says.

12 April 2010 Remarks by the President at the Opening Plenary Session of the Nuclear Security Summit 

12 April 2010 Clinton, Gates Discuss U.S. Nuclear Strategy  The United States will not use nuclear weapons against any nation that does not have nuclear weapons and that is in compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. “But we leave ourselves a lot of room for contingencies,” Clinton said in interviews on news television shows April 11 along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates to talk about the newly released U.S. nuclear strategy.

12 April 2010 Obama Meets with African Leaders in Advance of Nuclear Summit  President Obama met separately with South African President Jacob Zuma and Nigeria’s acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, April 11 on the eve of the Nuclear Security Summit, which both leaders were in Washington to attend. Obama praised South Africa for its historical leadership in promoting nuclear security and nonproliferation and for dismantling its own nuclear program.

09 April 2010 U.S. Officials Brief on Upcoming Nuclear Security Summit  Preview of April 12–13 nuclear security summit in Washington.

09 April 2010 Nuclear Arms Reduction Group Hails New U.S.-Russia Pact Leaders of Global Zero, a movement advocating a world free of nuclear weapons, hailed the New START agreement signed April 8 in Prague by President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. In a same-day press conference in Washington, Richard Burt, who was the chief U.S. negotiator for the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed in 1991 and who now is the U.S. chairman of Global Zero, said the time has come to eliminate the nuclear arsenal. 

09 April 2009 Nuclear Security Research Aids  Useful articles and documents produced by nongovernmental sources and listed at our sister site, America.gov

08 April 2010 With New START, U.S., Russia Commit to Disarmament  The signing of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) demonstrates the commitment of both the United States and Russia to live up to their obligations as nuclear armed states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to move toward disarmament and make the world a safer and more secure place, President Obama said following the treaty’s April 8 signing ceremony in Prague.

08 April 2010 Secretary Clinton on Nuclear Security Strategy  Outlines steps to reduce global threat of nuclear weapons.

08 April 2010 START & the Prague Summit
 • A New START in Prague (White House)
 • U.S. Embassy Prague website on START signing
 • Secretary Clinton on START in the Guardian

08 April 2010 Nuclear Security summit in Washington
 • Background on the Nuclear Security Summit

07 April 2010 Analysis: U.S. Nuclear Strategy Redefines Deterrence  President Obama’s new nuclear arms strategy aims to retain nuclear weapons to deter any primary threat of a nuclear strike on the U.S. homeland, while also furthering his ultimate goal of making them obsolete.

07 April 2010 Vice President Biden on a Comprehensive Nuclear Arms Strategy

06 April 2010 Obama Administration Revamps Nuclear Policy  The Obama administration issued a new U.S. nuclear strategy April 6 that sharply narrows the use of nuclear weapons, but maintains their traditional role to deter a nuclear strike against the United States. The Nuclear Posture Review (PDF, 2.7MB) was unveiled at a Pentagon briefing by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
 • Nuclear Posture Review website

06 April 2010 Nuclear Security Summit to Meet in Washington  President Obama will host a nuclear security summit in Washington April 12 and 13 to enhance international cooperation in preventing nuclear terrorism, a danger he has identified as the most immediate and extreme threat to global security. He has invited more than 40 nations to participate, nations that represent a diverse set of regions and various levels of nuclear materials, energy and expertise.

05 April 2010 Intensive Two Months Ahead to Boost Nonproliferation Efforts  The agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear arsenals under the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) marks an important step toward President Obama's vision of a world without nuclear weapons. It also marks the start of what will be an intensive two months as his administration seeks support from the international community to safeguard the world's nuclear material from extremists and traffickers and to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

29 March 2010 New START Treaty and the Obama Administration's Nonproliferation Agenda  Briefing by the
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Ellen Tauscher, in Washington DC.

29 March 2010 New Arms-Cut Treaty Requires U.S. Senate Approval   After President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign a new arms-reduction treaty in a Prague ceremony April 8, the treaty will face scrutiny in the U.S. Senate and Russian Duma for final approval. No one expects the process to be brief or without considerable debate. But while some in the Senate are concerned about potential limitations on missile defense, Obama administration officials are confident that these concerns have been adequately addressed in the treaty.

26 March 2010 START Reflects U.S. Intent to Create Nuclear-Free World  The landmark agreement between Russia and the United States to reduce their nuclear-weapon stockpiles by 30 percent marks a commitment by the Obama administration to its long-term goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says.

26 March 2010 Remarks by the President on the Announcement of New START Treaty
 • Key Facts about the New START Treaty

26 March 2010 New Treaty Reduces U.S., Russian Nuclear Arsenals  President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev finalized a landmark agreement that will cut the number of deployed nuclear weapons by 30 percent.   Obama and Medvedev completed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which had been in negotiation for almost a year, with a telephone call on March 26.

25 March 2010 Strong Progress Made on U.S.-Russian Arms Treaty   American and Russian negotiators are “making strong progress” toward a historic nuclear arms reduction treaty that would move the world a little closer to President Obama’s vision of a nuclear-free world, a senior White House official says. “We are, I think, very close to having an agreement on a START treaty, but won’t have one until President Obama and his counterpart, [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev, have a chance to speak,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said at a press briefing March 24. The two leaders are expected to confer by telephone March 26.

19 March 2010 Signing of New Nuclear Arms Treaty Near The United States and Russia are close to agreement on a new treaty to reduce nuclear arsenals, though technical issues remain to be resolved, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said March 19 in Moscow.
 •  Remarks by Secretary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

18 March 2010 U.S.-Russian Arms Reduction Deal Expected “Soon”  U.S. and Russian negotiators in Geneva are reporting “substantial progress” on a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that would reduce the number of nuclear warheads deployed in both countries by about one-quarter, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says, predicting a final agreement will be reached “soon.”

08 March 2010 Nuclear Treaty Still Curbs Spread of Weapons   While the threat of global nuclear war largely has passed, the danger of nuclear proliferation continues to make the 40-year-old Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as relevant today as it was during the height of the Cold War, President Obama says. The treaty, which is commonly known by its initials NPT, came into force March 5, 1970, and was intended to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. It was proposed by Ireland and Finland, which were the first nations to sign it.

05 March 2010 Statement by President Obama on the 40th Anniversary of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty  "Forty years ago today, in the midst of a Cold War, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force, becoming the cornerstone of the world’s efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.  Today, the threat of global nuclear war has passed, but the danger of nuclear proliferation endures, making the basic bargain of the NPT more important than ever: nations with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament, nations without nuclear weapons will forsake them, and all nations have an “inalienable right” to peaceful nuclear energy. Each of these three pillars -- disarmament, nonproliferation and peaceful uses -- are central to the vision that I outlined in Prague of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and seeking a world without them."

18 February 2010 Biden Discusses U.S. Nuclear Agenda  Vice President Biden says the United States will do everything in its power to keep nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists or spreading to states that do not already have them.But Biden also emphasized that the United States recognizes that as its own technology improves, researchers are developing non-nuclear ways to deter potential adversaries without relying on the nuclear weapons deterrence that characterized the Cold War period of the 20th century.

16 February 2010 Concern Grows over Potential for Middle Eastern Nuclear Arms Race  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton wrapped up a three-day Gulf diplomatic mission after consultations with key Middle Eastern leaders in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference as well as with regional business leaders and college students. Clinton told Saudi college students February 16 that the long-term goal of the United States is to see the entire Middle East, including Iran, free of nuclear weapons

29 January 2010 Vice President Biden on Obama’s Nuclear Vision 

09 December 2009 United States Introduces New Biological Weapons Security Strategy  The United States takes biological weapons threats seriously, and the Obama administration has adopted a new approach that is designed to counter today’s threats while preventing the misuse of science, Under Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher says.

04 December 2009 Joint Statement by Presidents Obama, Medvedev on START Treaty. Both countries will continue to work in spirit of treaty after its expiration.

04 December 2009 United States, Russia Extend START Arms Cut Pact Past Deadline  The United States and Russia have agreed to maintain a critical nuclear arms control agreement past its expiration date until a new agreement is reached, saying that strategic stability is very important.

30 November 2009 The United States is a World Leader in Humanitarian Mine Action  The United States shares common cause with nations who are working to address the harmful effects of indiscriminately used landmines on civilians. We are proud to be a world leader in humanitarian mine action, having provided more than $1.5 billion since 1993 to mitigate the threat from landmines and explosive remnants of war in nearly 50 countries.

30 November 2009 Nations that Dismantled Nuclear Arms Point the Way Forward   It lacks the drama of the Cuban missile crisis, but a generation ago Brazil and Argentina stepped back from a path that could have triggered a nuclear arms race in South America. Other countries — Libya, South Africa, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus — also offer examples of how to bank the fires that fuel nuclear ambitions. Can such nonproliferation success stories be replicated in the Middle East, Korean Peninsula and Indian subcontinent?

25 November 2009 U.S.-Russian Nuclear Pact Will Drive Future Weapons Cuts  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said the nuclear status quo is neither desirable nor sustainable. It gives countries an “excuse to pursue their own nuclear options.” But recently, U.S. and Russian officials have been through eight rounds of negotiations in Geneva to change the status quo. They’re hammering out the details of a new accord to succeed the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, often referred to as START, scheduled to expire December 5.

23 November 2009 U.S. and Russian Negotiators Cutting Nuclear Weapons, Launchers  President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed in April to reduce nuclear arsenals below the levels called for in the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I.  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a press conference October 13 in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the United States and Russia are making progress in replacing the current treaty and easing perceived tensions over nuclear weapons.

15 November 2009 United States, Russia Close to New Arms Control Treaty  President Obama held consultations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the sidelines of the 17th annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore, and their talks focused on two areas: a new arms control treaty and what to do about efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Since their first meetings in London and later Moscow, Obama and Medvedev have agreed on the urgent need to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear arms stockpiles. Negotiators from both nations have been working feverishly on a replacement treaty for the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I, which expires December 5.

21 October 2009 Secretary Clinton Remarks at the United States Institute of Peace

13 October 2009 United States, Russia Making Progress on Arms Reduction Treaty  The United States and Russia are making progress in replacing a current treaty for reducing nuclear arsenals with one that goes further in physically reducing arsenals and also lessening perceived tensions over nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed at a meeting in April to reduce nuclear arsenals well below the levels called for in the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I.

07 October 2009 Nuclear Nonproliferation a Shared Responsibility, Official Says Efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and prevent nuclear terrorism must be shared, including "collective efforts" by countries to prevent others from crossing "the nuclear threshold," the State Department’s top diplomat on arms control told the United Nations General Assembly.

24 September 2009 Fact Sheet on the United Nations Security Council Summit on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Disarmament UNSC Resolution 1887

24 September 2009 Weapons Talks Spur New Cooperation Between U.S., Russia  As the two major nuclear superpowers, the United States and Russia have made a substantial commitment to reduce their nuclear weapon stockpiles and both say they will reach an agreement on further reductions by the end of 2009.

21 September 2009 The New System Offers A Real Missile Defence  Financial Times op-ed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

17 September 2009 Remarks by the President on strengthening missile defense in Europe

17 September 2009 Obama Announces New Plan to Defend Europe from Iranian Missiles  Citing the need for a more adaptable missile defense architecture for Europe that uses "proven and cost-effective" technology, the Obama administration unveiled plans for a phased deployment of sensors and missile interceptors designed to reduce the threat from Iran’s ballistic missile program.

17 September 2009 Fact Sheet on U.S. Missile Defense Policy  President Obama has approved the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a phased, adaptive approach for missile defense in Europe.  This approach is based on an assessment of the Iranian missile threat, and a commitment to deploy technology that is proven, cost-effective, and adaptable to an evolving security environment.

02 September 2009 Remarks by Ambassador Rice, outlining the Security Council's September Program of Work

31 August 2009 State's Gottemoeller on Arms Control Priorities  Says a new START accord will persuade other nations to reduce arms.

12 August 2009 Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: A Blueprint for Progress

05 August 2009 Obama to Lead U.N. Session on Nonproliferation  President Obama will chair a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament when the United Nations convenes for the opening of the General Assembly in September, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said. "The Security Council has an essential role in preventing the spread and use of nuclear weapons and is also the world’s principal multilateral instrument for global security cooperation," Rice said in an announcement August 4 in New York.

16 July 2009 Fact Sheet on Legacy of START and Related Arms Control Policies  Arms control efforts reduce numbers of bombers, missiles, nuclear warheads.

09 July 2009  The Obama Administration’s arms control and non-proliferation strategy.   Gary Samore, Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation, and Terrorism spoke on “The Obama Administration’s arms control and non-proliferation strategy” at the International Institute For Strategic Studies.
From the IISS: Watch the Speech (110MB) and theQ&A Session.

08 July 2009 Joint Understanding by Obama, Medvedev on Missile Defense  Leaders outline elements in the START follow on treaty.

24 June 2009 Military Leaders from U.S., Gulf States Discuss Security Threats  U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told military leaders from the Gulf region that today's security environment in the Gulf poses dilemmas and opportunities that span all borders.

10 June 2009 July Moscow Summit Seeks to Reduce Nuclear Arsenals  President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev committed to reducing their nuclear arsenals through a proposed arms reduction treaty that would take effect late this year. As owners of more than 95 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, the United States and Russia will lead by example, Obama said after a meeting with Medvedev in early April.

08 June 2009 U.S. Seeking Strong Response to North Korea's Nuclear Actions  Not taking significant and effective action against North Korea's recent "provocative and belligerent behavior" to test a nuclear weapon and launch repeated short-range missiles could spark an arms race in Northeast Asia that nobody wants, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says.

01 June 2009 Defense Secretary Gates on Missile Defense Discussions

01 June 2009 U.S. Will Not Accept North Korea as Nuclear Weapons State  The U.S. will not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told an annual Asian security conference in Singapore. "Dependent on the charity of the international community to alleviate the hunger and suffering of its people, North Korea's leadership has chosen to focus the North's limited energies and resources on a reckless and ultimately self-destructive quest for nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles," Gates said.

29 May 2009 U.S. Helps Nations Reduce, Destroy Excess Weapons and Munitions  Huge stockpiles of small arms, light weapons and aging munitions that were likely acquired decades ago now pose security and safety concerns for nations in every region of the world, say U.S. officials. The United States is committed to helping other nations reduce and destroy stockpiles of excess weapons and often unstable munitions, a State Department official says.

18 May 2009 State Department Fact Sheet on Open Skies Arms Control Treaty

15 May 2009 P-5 Non-Proliferation Treaty  The Delegations of China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America affirm their collective support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

07 May 2009 Reducing Nuclear Arsenals Is a Critical U.S.-Russian Concern  Reducing nuclear arsenals is among the highest priorities for the United States and Russia, but an array of other international issues from the Middle East to North Korea also fills the crowded agenda of the two nations.

05 May 2009 Preparations for 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review  State’s Gottemoeller notes need to strengthen convention.

24 April 2009 U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Reduction Talks Begin  The first round of "very productive" negotiations to replace a 1991 nuclear arms reduction treaty have begun in Rome between senior U.S. and Russian diplomats. The new arms control negotiations are aimed at developing a replacement for the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START-1, before it expires December 5, 2009.

05 April 2009 Obama Seeks World Free of Nuclear Weapons  President Obama vowed that the United States will take concrete steps toward a world free of nuclear weapons. "We will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy and urge others to do the same," Obama said in an April 5 speech in Hradcanske Square outside the medieval Prague Castle in the Czech Republic.

05 April 2009 Obama Condemns North Korea's Missile Launch  President Obama condemned North Korea's launch of a long-range Taepodong-2 missile April 4 as a threat to the security of Northeast Asia and international peace and security. "With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," said Obama.

09 March 2009 Clinton Hails Renewal of U.S.-Russian Arms Control Talks   A “fresh start” in U.S.-Russian relations will begin with a renewed commitment to shrinking stockpiles of nuclear weapons, after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announce plans to start negotiations on a new arms control treaty.