Press Room

ACA Applauds UNGA Support for New Arms Trade Treaty

Today, the independent, Arm Control Association welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's endorsement of the new Arms Trade Treaty, which will for the first time establish common international standards that must be met before states authorize transfers of conventional weapons or export ammunition and weapons parts and components. The treaty will be open for signature beginning in June.

May 23, 2013

Arms Experts Urge States to Move Treaty Forward to UNGA for Approval and Signature

Today, the independent, Arm Control Association welcomed the new, compromise Arms Trade Treaty text that has emerged from two intense weeks of final negotiations and years of multilateral talks among the 193 members states of the United Nations.

May 23, 2013

'Final' Arms Trade Treaty A Good Step Forward

(United Nations, NY)--Today, arms control analysts welcomed the new, compromise Arms Trade Treaty text that has emerged from intense negotiations and that states may endorse on the final day of the March 18-28 UN diplomatic conference.

May 23, 2013

Human Rights, Religious, Security Organizations Urge President Obama to Help Close the Deal on an Effective Global Arms Trade Treaty

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—Nongovernmental leaders pressed President Barack Obama today to provide the support necessary to conclude an effective Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which is up for renegotiation at the UN this spring (March 18-28). The ATT will regulate the cross border trade of conventional weapons by closing the loopholes in the current international system.

May 23, 2013

"Solving the Iranian Nuclear Puzzle:" An ACA Briefing Book

(Washington, D.C.) As the United States and other international leaders continue to pursue a range of strategies to head-off the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran, the non-partisan Arms Control Association has produced a comprehensive, entry-level guide to Iran's nuclear program and its capabilities, and the risks, benefits, and limitations of the available policy options.

May 23, 2013

Retired General James Cartwright Voted 2012 "Arms Control Person of the Year"

(Washington, D.C.) General James Cartwright garnered the highest number of votes in an online poll to determine the "2012 Arms Control Person of the Year." Nine other individuals and institutions were nominated by the staff of the Arms Control Association for their achievements and contributions.

May 23, 2013

Vote for the 2012 Arms Control Person(s) of the Year!

Since 1971, the Arms Control Association has promoted practical solutions to address the dangers posed by the world's most dangerous weapons-nuclear, biological, and chemical, as well as certain types of conventional arms.

May 23, 2013

Op-ed: Patience Has Not Been A Virtue

The following piece was originally published at Foreign Policy on December 12, 2012

President Obama's policy of "strategic patience" has failed to seize fleeting diplomatic opportunities and has, unsurprisingly, not worked. It's time to make a mid-course adjustment by resuming earlier efforts to negotiate curbs on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and imposing further sanctions to affect Pyongyang's bargaining calculus.

May 23, 2013

Conference Report Available "CTBT at 15: Status and Prospects"

(Washington, D.C.) The Arms Control Association, in association with the UK Government and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Nonproliferation, organized a day-long conference on February 17, 2012 in Vienna, Austria, to mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). This conference report details the value of the CTBT and explores pathways to its entry into force.

May 23, 2013

Media Backgrounder: Nuclear Weapons and the Foreign Policy Debate

Fifty years after the Cuban missile crisis almost led to nuclear war, nuclear weapons still pose enormous risks to U.S. and global security. Today, there still are nearly 20,000 nuclear weapons, and there are nine nuclear-armed states. More countries have access to the technologies needed to produce nuclear bomb material, and the threat of nuclear terrorism is real.

May 23, 2013