Nuclear & Arms Control is an international concept and a set of diplomatic efforts aimed at the regulation, reduction, and limitation of weapons, particularly nuclear weapons, to prevent their proliferation and reduce the risk of conflict. The concept emerged prominently after World War II and the atomic bombings of 1945, driven by the need to manage the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Early efforts included the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1957 to promote peaceful nuclear use and apply safeguards against military diversion.
The cornerstone of the global regime is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which entered into force in 1970. The NPT is built on three pillars: non-proliferation (preventing the spread of nuclear weapons), peaceful use of nuclear energy, and disarmament (a commitment by nuclear-weapon states to pursue disarmament under Article VI). The treaty defines nuclear-weapon states as those that tested a nuclear explosive device before January 1, 1967 (the US, Russia, the UK, France, and China). India, along with Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan, is a non-party to the NPT.
Other key agreements include the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), adopted in 1996, which bans all nuclear explosions for military or civilian purposes, but has not yet entered into force. A major mechanism for bilateral reduction was the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia, which entered into force on February 5, 2011. New START limited each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and 700 deployed delivery vehicles. This treaty, which replaced the START I treaty, expired on February 5, 2026, marking the first time in five decades that no nuclear arms control treaty exists between the two nations. The expiration of New START has raised concerns about intensifying vertical nuclear proliferation (modernization and expansion of existing arsenals).