The Core Issues

The four core issues that are being discussed in the Conference on Disarmament are:

Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty (FMCT)
The continued production of fissile materials is a threat to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The creation of a Fissile Materials Cut-off Treaty could curb the development and spread of nuclear weapons. The Shannon Mandate details the mandate for negotiations of an FMCT that was agreed upon in 1995. The consensus, however, broke down due to objections over verifiability.
A future Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty was the focus of structured debates in the CD from May 15 to May 22.

Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS)
The potential weaponization of space threatens to result in a multi-billion dollar race for destruction. A war in space would affect the entire planet's ability to function. While most of the world is working to prevent an arms race in outer space, the US pushes further toward the weaponization of space every day, threatening the well-being of the international community and its own citizens.
In the CD, PAROS is the focus of the debates from May 29 to June 23.

Negative Security Assurances (NSA)
NSAs are important to Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWSs) as guarantees from Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) that they will not be attacked with nuclear weapons. NSAs was discussed in the CD during the third session of 2006, from August 1 to August 18.

Nuclear Disarmament
The United States, the United Kingdom, Russian Federation, China, France, India, Pakistan and Israel has nuclear weapons today. The first UN General Assemlby resolution ever, A/RES/1/1, from January 1946, stated that nuclear weapons should be phased out. Suggestion on how to implement nuclear disarmament can be read in two Reaching Critical Will publications, Nuclear Disarmament - What now? and Major Proposals to Strengthen the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
Nuclear Disarmament was discussed in the CD during Feb 27 to March 3.

See the states positions on these issues in our position matrix