A fissile material cutoff treaty and its verification. Fissile material cutoff treaty and fissile material treaty. In 1995, a report to the conference on disarmament, prepared by ambassador shannon, included an agreed. Scope and verification of a fissile material cutoff treaty third annual report of the international panel on fissile materials on the cover. Proposed fissile material cutoff treaty fmct treaties. The fissile material cutoff treaty fmct is a proposed international treaty to prohibit the further production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other explosive devices. Separation of civilian military facilities before the march 2, agreement, the us wanted india to put great majority of its 22 nuclear reactors on the civilian list. See international panel on fissile materials, global fissile material report 2008.
Here, we will use a name that makes this unresolved issue explicit. Proposals for a fissile material production cutoff. Since may 2009, pakistan, largely alone, has blocked the start of international talks on a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct at the 65member conference on disarmament cd in geneva. The quantities of weapongrade fissile material amount to more than. This paper is particularly timely, as it addresses emerging issues based in the changing forms and norms of postcold war arms control. The potential benefits of a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct are well known.
Jun 20, 2016 the proposed treaty would halt the production of fissile material for explosive purposes, an indisputably valuable goal in service of a world ultimately free of nuclear weapons. Fissile material cutoff treaty and options for india s rajagopal 7 8 introduction fissile material cutoff was first proposed as a u. The use of the term fissile material cutoff treaty throughout this policy paper is. A treaty to end the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, the socalled cutoff, is one of the most important steps on the disarmament agenda, and all efforts are necessary to overcome the current difficulties in its designated negotiation forum, the conference on disarmament cd. On 29 may 2009 the conference on disarmament agreed a mandate to begin those negotiations. Fissile material cutoff treaty how is fissile material. The renewed momentum behind international efforts to negotiate a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct has focused attention on how the proposed ban on the production. Getting the process right, annecy, france, march 17, 2007. The fissile material cutoff treaty fmct has the potential to deliver substantial security benefits, furthering the twin goals of nuclear disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation. Ford, united states special representative for nuclear nonproliferation, delivered at the conference on preparing for 2010.
Scope and verification of a fissile material cutoff treaty. According to the ronen fissile rule, for a heavy element with 90. Cutoff treaty fmct, fissile material treaty fmt and fissban. Comprehensive test ban treaty ctbt and the fissile material cutoff treaty fmct. Cutoff treaty fmct, or fissile material treaty fmt, depending on the idea of what its scope should be, whether it should cut off only future production or whether it should also include regulations on already existing materials. An effective fissile material cutoff treaty fmct would strengthen international disarmament and nonproliferation regimes, broaden and reinforce efforts to ensure. It has been supported by strong majorities in the united nations. United nations institute for disarmament research a mandate to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons has been under discussion in the conference of disarmament cd in geneva since 1994. The proposed treaty would halt the production of fissile material for explosive purposes, an indisputably valuable goal in service of a world ultimately free of nuclear weapons. Daryl kimball, executive director, 202 4638270 x107. Fmct may provide such a solution, but the negotiation of such a treaty is already fraught with a number of challenges. Sign the comprehensive test ban treaty without waiting for india. The netherlands views on a fissile material cutoff.
A fissile material cutoff treaty fmct would strengthen nuclear nonproliferation norms by adding a binding international commitment to existing constraints on nuclear weaponsusable fissile material. The netherlands views on a fissile material cutoff treaty the netherlands regards a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct or fissile material treaty fmt as an indispensable step towards a world free of nuclear weapons. A fissile material cutoff treaty fmct is a proposed international agreement that would prohibit the production of the two main components of nuclear weapons. After it comes into force, newly produced fissile materials could only be produced under international most likely international atomic energy agency.
Elements of the emerging consensus introduction a treaty that would ban production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons has been on the agenda of the international community for more than 20 years. Fissile material cutoff treaty fmct negotiations and. But we are now told that an fmct that includes international monitoring of preexisting nonweapons stocks is not negotiable. Fissile material report points toward treaty arms control. Kingston reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy, 202 4638270 x104 a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct is a proposed international agreement that would prohibit the production of the two main components of nuclear weapons. Given these continuing sources of tension between the two countries, indian support for either the ctbt or a fissile material cutoff treaty most immediately is influenced by how adherence to either treaty will affect the balance of nuclear forces between it and china, rather than any disarmament initiatives of the obama administration. Fact sheet on the fissile material cutoff treaty fmct. But since the late 1990s, the concept has been relegated to the diplomatic shadows as talks on a global verifiable fissile material cutoff treaty fmct have sputtered due to differences over negotiating priorities at the 65nation conference on disarmament in geneva. A nuclide capable of undergoing fission even with a low probability after capturing a neutron of high or low energy.
Grey on fissile material treaty, antipersonnel landmines 26 march 1998 a multilateral agreement to cut off the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other explosive devices would have clear benefits from a nuclear disarmament perspective, says ambassador robert grey, u. The treaty has not been negotiated and its terms remain to be defined. The draft resolution on the conference on disarmament decision to establish an ad hoc committee to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons document ac. Scope and verification of a fissile material cutoff treaty, 102. The proposed treaty would ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The renewed momentum behind international efforts to negotiate a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct has focused attention on how the proposed ban on the production of fissile material will be verified. Bohlen, assistant secretary for arms control statement in the first committee of the general assembly united nations, new york october 10, 2001 2000.
Notwithstanding the international stagnation, the issue has been instigating periodic debate in india on the indian approach. A fissile material cutoff treaty understanding the critical issues unidir united nations institute for disarmament research geneva, switzerland new york and geneva, 2010. Air force institute for national security studies inss. Japans views on a fissile material cutoff treatyi submitted pursuant to unga resolution 6753 paragraph 2 significance of an fmct 1. We present below a draft fmct based on discussions within the international panel on fissile materials ipfm. This is the 36th volume in the occasional paper series of the u. Lift pakistans veto on fissile material cutoff treaty negotiations and reduce or stop fissile material production. Fissionable has been used as a synonym for fissile, but fissile will be used here instead. Verified cutoff of fissile material production for weapons 29. A treaty on the cutoff of fissile material for nuclear. We deeply regret that so far the conference on disarmament cd has not been able to start negotiations on an fmct.
Upsc exams fissile material cut off treaty purposes. A treaty banning the production of fissile materials 1 for nuclear weapons is essential to constraining nuclear arms races and to achieving the goal of nuclear disarmament. The uk has had a moratorium in place on the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices since 1995 and is committed to the pursuit of an international treaty that would put an end to the future production of fissile material for such purposes. Rajagopal, fissile material cutoff treaty and options for india, working paper 199, national institute of advanced studies, 1999. Fissile material cutoff treaty fmct at a glance arms. By kingston reif and madeleine foley purpose of fissile material cutoff treaty a fissile material cutoff treaty would ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons purposes. According to a proposal by the united states, fissile material includes highenriched uranium.
Though the cd had adopted shannons report in march 1995 agreeing to establish an ad hoc committee to negotiate the treaty but cd was unable to reach consensus regarding the mandate of the treaty. A fissile material cutoff treaty and its verification geneva, may 2, 2008 safeguards in nuclear weapon states today many reprocessing and enrichment plants in the nuclear weapon states already are subject to international safeguards global fissile material report 2007 enrichment and reprocessing facilities operational or under construction. A fissile material cutoff treaty fmct international panel on. Scope and verification of a fissile material cutoff treaty, ipfm, princeton, nj, september 2008 the challenges of an fmct many similarities to iaea safeguards in npt nonweapon states but some new issues verification challenges are small compared to the political challenges of negotiating a treaty. Clinton has announced that the united states will take a comprehensive approach to the growing global accumulation of. An expert group tasked by the united nations with laying the groundwork for the negotiation of a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct completed its work june 8 with consensus recommendations that could be taken forward by a new subgroup of the conference on disarmament cd. The proposed fissile material ban is an arms control and nonproliferation measure, meant to be global and nondiscriminatory in the sense it seeks to stop all further production of fissile material plutonium and enriched uranium for weapons purposes, or outside of international safeguards, all over the. A fissile material cutoff treaty fmct would ban the production of fissile material in practice highlyenriched uranium and separated plutonium for weapons. It is with this intention the cd appointed canadian ambassador gerald shannon as a special coordinator in 1994 to prepare a report on modalities of how to negotiate fissile material cutoff treaty. A mandate to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons has been under discussion in the conference of disarmament cd in geneva since 1994.
Possible ways and means to eliminate the threat of fissile material 7. After it comes into force, newly produced fissile materials could only be produced under international most likely international atomic energy agency monitoring. National institute of advanced studies fissile material cut. It would be better to ask countries to decide at the beginning what preexisting fissile material they wished to keep available for weapons and to put all other fissile materials under international safeguards. Factsheet on the fissile material cutoff treaty fmct. In the arms control context, particularly in proposals for a fissile material cutoff treaty, the term fissile is often used to describe materials that can be used in the fission primary of a nuclear weapon. States in favor of including stocks tend to call for a fissile material treaty fmt while states favoring a ban on production often refer to a fissile.
Fissile specifically refers to a capability to sustain an explosive fission chain reaction. Fissile material cutoff treaty fmct india supporters the ban on production of fissile material for nuclear weapons purposes. Fissile materials, principally highly enriched uranium heu and plutonium, are the essential ingredients for building nuclear weapons and powering nuclear reactors. However canadian efforts over the last twenty years have been marked by failure. National institute of advanced studies fissile material. A treaty banning the production of fissile materials. The united states and the fissile material cutoff treaty. A fissile material approach to nuclear disarmament and. The netherlands views on a fissile material cutoff treaty. On april 5, 2009, obama pledged nuclear zero and resolved to control all fissile material in four years, yet his administration pursues an arms control treaty on fissile materials. A fissile material cutoff treaty the web site cannot be found. Fissile material cutoff treaty fmct negotiations and india. A fissile material cutoff treaty would ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons purposes. The indian government, for a long period, has been sponsoring the idea.
Whether further persistence is worth it calls for answers to a number of questions. Ways and means to eliminate the threat of fissile material. The international community inside and outside the conference of disarmament is underscoring the need for concluding a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct. Fissile material cutoff treaty fmct at a glance arms control. By capping the amount of fissile material available for weapons use, the fmct would be an essential step towards irreversible nuclear disarmament. While emphasising restraint and responsibility in the management of nuclear weapons, india has expressed the hope that pakistan would begin talks on joining the fissile material cutoff treaty fmct. The renewed momentum behind international efforts to negotiate a fissile material cutoff treaty fmct has focused attention on how the proposed ban on the production of. An effective fissile material cutoff treaty fmct would strengthen international disarmament and nonproliferation regimes, broaden and reinforce efforts to ensure the security of nuclear materials, and bolster international security. The proposed fissile material ban is an arms control and nonproliferation measure, meant to be global and nondiscriminatory in the sense it seeks to stop all further production of fissile material plutonium and enriched uranium for weapons purposes, or outside of international safeguards, all over the world.