Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation – Can it be done?

By Zeb Leonard

From the very beginnings of the age of nuclear weapons there have been vocal commentators advocating they never be used and that disarmament should begin. Although these voices have been powerful, the bomb cannot be ‘uninvented.’

Attempts to control atomic weapons technology, beginning with the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1946, have been far from completely successful and it is known that nuclear weapons exist in the arsenals of the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. It is very strongly suspected that Israel is in possession of nuclear weapons and South Africa is known to have had nuclear weapons but has dismantled them.

Efforts to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which first entered into force in March 1970, have largely been the responsibility of states. However, the voices of civil society groups, such as NGOs, have also been influential on the debate surrounding non-proliferation and disarmament. It would seem that advocating complete disarmament (as in Australia’s official perspective as outlined by the ‘Canberra Commission’) is a noble but unfortunately unlikely goal.  Nevertheless, prominent groups such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament have as their ultimate goal that all nuclear weapons be dismantled and no more are fabricated.

Yet it should be noted that the general design and function of first-generation nuclear weapons is a matter on the public record. Furthermore, the horrendous destructive potential of even a small yield nuclear weapon will, unfortunately, ensure they remain a desirable asset for those seeking power.  As Hans Morgenthau, to whom the concept of the ‘realist’ perspective to international relations is attributed, stated ‘International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power.’ Nuclear weapons have become in themselves a symbol of power in modernity.

The interests of activists in the global community who desire disarmament would perhaps best be served by promoting that declared nuclear powers undergo an agreed-upon reduction in nuclear forces in stages, with efforts towards disarmament being matched by potential rivals.  A salient recent example of a step in this direction (at least in terms of reduction in what nuclear forces are actually deployed) is the new START treaty between the United States and Russia, which entered into force in February 2011.

The technology of a first-generation bomb can be replicated by developing nations and, perhaps more worryingly, could be replicated by a well-funded non-state group. We should be thankful that the fissile material required to bring about a nuclear explosion is difficult to obtain. It is unlikely that a non-state group could construct the necessary reactors, centrifuges or particle accelerators to isolate their own fissile material. However it should be noted it was the lifetime fear of former U.S. nuclear weapons designer Theodore B Taylor the required material could be obtained via theft from civil industry. Regardless of one’s individual stance on nuclear power, the nuclear industry is vital to contemporary society for such things as the production of medical isotopes. As the nuclear industry grows, activist voices in the global community may well be wise to direct their attention to promoting officials to ensure that proper safeguards for fissile material are in place.

Ultimately, complete disarmament may never be realised, however members of the broader global community can do much to promote that nuclear arsenals be scaled down and that potential ‘entry level’ proliferators are carefully monitored.

Zeb Leonard received his PhD from the University of Ballarat in May 2011.  His thesis explored the public debates surrounding British nuclear weapons testing in Australia.

As included in Edition 22, Nov of Monthly Access, a publication available at http://www.aiia.asn.au/access-monthly-access