Management, abolition, and nullification: Nuclear nonproliferation strategies in the 21st century

Abstract

As the 21st century opens, the international community must choose how to address the continuing challenges posed by nuclear proliferation. Roughly speaking, there are three main strategies available for tackling these challenges. The first of these is the “management” strategy, which relies upon arms control as its main instrument, including the international nonproliferation regime built around the 1968 Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The second is the “abolition” strategy, which sees the control of nuclear proliferation as a step down the road towards complete nuclear disarmament, an approach that emphasizes the commitment to that end contained in Article VI of the NPT. The third is the “nullification” strategy that advocates military counter-measures, such as missile defense systems, to cancel out the capabilities and threats that arise from proliferation.