Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Other Disarmament Machinery

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
The standing Secretariat for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is also the home for the International Monitoring System. Although the CTBT has yet to be entered-into-force, the CTBTO is a fully operational body, and enjoys the support of the majority of countries.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The ICJ has a dual role: to settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by States, and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies. In its 1996 advisory opinion on nuclear weapons, the ICJ affirmed that under humanitarian law governing the conduct of
warfare, states "must never use weapons that are incapable of distinguishing between civilian and military targets." The Court holds the threat or use of nuclear weapons to be generally illegal under humanitarian and other law.

Missile Regimes
Currently, the two main missile non-proliferation regimes, the Hague Code of Conduct and the Missile Technology Control Regime, are not legally-binding. There remains, then, an important role for citizens and non-governmental organizations to play in promoting and implementing missile control and disarmament.

Nuclear Weapons Free Zones
Currently, there are four areas of the globe that have declared themselves to be free of nuclear weapons:

1. Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco, Entered into Force (EIF) in 1968)
2. South Pacific (Treaty of Rarotonga, EIF in 1986)
3. South East Asia (Treaty of Bangkok, EIF in 1997)
4. Africa (Treaty of Pelindaba, signed in 1996, not yet entered-into-force)
5. Antarctica
6. Mongolia
7. Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone

In April, 2005, Mexico hosted the first ever Conference of States Parties to Nuclear-Weapon Free Zones. See here for documents issued from that historic conference.

In addition there are three international treaties also prohibiting the stationing of nuclear weapons in other areas:
Antarctica (Antarctic Treaty, entered into force [EIF]1959)
Outer Space (Outer Space Treaty, EIF in 1967)
Sea Bed (Sea Bed Treaty EIF in 1971)

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The OPCW is a watchdog agency that monitors and assists with the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Security Council Resolution 1540
This resolution, adopted 28 April 2004, is the strongest condemnation of and action on the proliferation of WMD by non-state actors to date.

Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change
In his assessment of threats to international peace and security, Kofi Annan recognized "the biggest security threats we face now extend to the spread and possible use of nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological weapons."