The evolution of nuclear export control regimes: from export control list to catch-all clause

Abstract

The proliferation of nuclear weapons and in particular the risk of them falling into the hands of non-state actors has become one of the major concerns of the international community. In response to this fear, nuclear weapon non-proliferation regimes have become over time more and more elaborate and complex. This paper, on the one hand, tries to sum up the different stages of the elaboration of an International Nuclear Export Control Regime from the initial national approach to the adoption of international formal and informal instruments. On the other hand, it attempts to demonstrate how these regimes slowly came to involve the exporters' responsibility in the fight against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.