International Arms Control Research Guide

Many government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other entities are involved in arms control and provide information related to their activities on their websites. The following is a list of major agencies and organizations (by no means exhaustive) that are active in this area.

U.S. Government Agencies

• U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC)
  This bureau provides oversight on matters relating to verification of international arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements, including the assessment of other nations’ compliance. It prepares the Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments and the World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (1964–2021; publication ceased) reports.
   
• U.S. Department of State: Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
  This bureau has information on treaties, links to sanctions laws and executive orders, policy statements and more.
   
• U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Political Affairs
  This bureau manages several programs related to arms control, including weapons removal, arms transfers, defense trade controls, and International Criminal Court bilateral surrender (Article 98) agreements.

Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations

• Cluster Munition Coalition
  The CMC’s website includes includes reports, working group information, news about national legislation implementation activity, and treaty information related to landmines. Sister organization to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (see below).
   
• International Campaign to Ban Landmines
  The ICBL’s website includes reports, working group information, news about national legislation implementation activity, and treaty information related to landmines. Sister organization to the Cluster Munition Coalition (see above).
   
• International Committee of the Red Cross: Use of Weapons
  This page gathers ICRC materials on the use and control of weapons, including conventional weapons, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons, and emerging weapons technologies.
   
• United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
  Autonomous U.N. institute which conducts research on disarmament and security issues. Their goal is to assist and inform the international community and encourage state participation in arms control and reduction. Its publications include materials on small arms control, arms trade treaties, arms control in outer space, etc.
   
• United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)
  According to its website, “UNODA provides substantive and organizational support for norm-setting in the area of disarmament through the work of the General Assembly and its First Committee, the Disarmament Commission, the Conference on Disarmament and other bodies. It fosters disarmament measures through dialogue, transparency and confidence-building on military matters, and encourages regional disarmament efforts; these include the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and regional forums.” The website includes a documents library; a database of arms control-related treaties; and a page listing its publications.

Policy and Research Institutes

• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Nuclear Policy Program
  The Nuclear Policy Program “works to strengthen international security by diagnosing acute nuclear risks, informing debates on solutions, and engaging international actors to effect change. The program’s work spans deterrence, disarmament, nonproliferation, nuclear security, and nuclear energy.”
   
• Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)
  CNS’ work includes the comprehensive, searchable Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations & Regimes hosted on the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s website, which includes links to treaties and agreements related to disarmament and nonproliferation.
   
• Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
  CSIS’ activities include the Project on Nuclear Issues, whose report on Integrated Arms Control in an Era of Strategic Competition is available in print at the Law Library and online.
   
• Harvard Sussex Program on Chemical and Biological Weapons
  The Resources page gathers publications, working papers, reports, and articles related to biological and chemical weapons.
   
• Nuclear Threat Initiative
  A “nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization focused on reducing nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity.” NTI’s work includes the Nuclear Security Index. The News, Analysis, and Education Center pages of its website offer a wide range of materials related to nuclear security.
   
• Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC)

  British organization which “support[s] the development, implementation and verification of international agreements and related regional and national initiatives.” Its work includes the Verification and Monitoring Programme and the National Implementation Measures Programme. Its website includes databases of national implementing legislation for the Biological Weapons Convention and nuclear security.