AMC Annual Conference 2024

Bild från konferensen. Erik Melander talar.

The Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament hosted its third annual cross-disciplinary conference Reinvigorating Nuclear Disarmament on 18-19 June 2024. Unfortunately, the outlook for nuclear disarmament, encompassing arms control and non-proliferation, remains grim.

The number of nuclear warheads assigned to operational forces is on the rise, with nuclear-armed states continuing to modernize their arsenals. In the context of the largest nuclear-weapon powers, Russia and the United States, only one major arms control agreement concerning nuclear weapons remains: the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, known as the New START Treaty. Russia recently suspended its participation in this treaty and has indicated that it will not engage in negotiations to extend the treaty, which is set to expire in early 2026. Meanwhile, North Korea persists in conducting frequent missile tests, and at the time of writing this, there is ongoing discussion among Russian officials about resuming nuclear weapons testing.

Amidst these and other discouraging developments, it is nevertheless noteworthy that Russia has stated that it will continue to implement the 1988 agreement on the exchange of missile launch notifications. This underscores the significance of this agreement and other arms control measures during these challenging times. Clearly, there is a need to reinvigorate nuclear disarmament efforts, including arms control and non-proliferation. The fact that progress in this area appears elusive makes it all the more important for us to engage in research and discussions about potential paths forward. Issues that we need to understand better range from risk reduction, arms control, and non-proliferation in the immediate term to achieving disarmament and security communities in the long term.

Call for proposals

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