Suchergebnisse

AbstractThe world has been trying to eliminate weapons of mass destruction (WMD) — nuclear, biological and chemical arms — for over half a century. Yet many such weapons remain, and progress in nuclear disarmament has been especially disappointing. The chronic failure to achieve agreed WMD disarmament mandates has prompted the creation of several independent international commissions to find some solutions. The WMD Commission created by Sweden in late 2003 was the latest such venture, and its 2006 report has received international acclaim. Chaired by Hans Blix, the Commission covered disarmament, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism issues, and did so from a variety of policy dimensions, from unilateral action through fully multilateral cooperation. Written by a member of the Commission's secretariat staff, this article tells the story of the Commission: how it conducted its work, what it proposed and what impacts it has had — and may yet have — in revitalizing WMD disarmament efforts.

AbstractThe literature on arms control and disarmament is replete with studies demonstrating the numerous difficulties in negotiating agreements for the control or elimination of nuclear weapons. These studies stress the time consumed during negotiations, the complexity of the emerging agreements, the trade-offs required to achieve agreement, the political difficulties of treaty ratification, and the alleged advantages of alternative approaches to arms control and disarmament not involving treaties. This essay examines whether treaties and negotiations are in fact dispensable in achieving agreed multilateral disarmament objectives. It surveys recent multilateral efforts in the field of nuclear disarmament and identifies six basic criteria that enjoy broad international support as standards for assessing the merits of disarmament agreements. The essay concludes that tacit understandings and other informal political arrangements offer no substitute for legally-binding treaty obligations. This conclusion leads to several implications affecting the conduct of multilateral negotiations, and the kinds of institutional support required in the negotiating process and for the maintenance of key commitments by the relevant multilateral regimes.

Globalbeiträge und Fallstudien zur Analyse der politischen und strategischen Schlüsselprobleme der Balkanländer und östlichen Mittelmeeranrainer vor dem Hintergrund innenpolitischer Verschiebungen und geopolitischer Spannungen und Entspannungsbemühungen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Entwicklungen der Nach-Tito-Ära