List of weapons of mass destruction treaties
A variety of treaties and agreements have been enacted to regulate the use, development and possession of various types of weapons of mass destruction. Treaties may regulate weapons use under the customs of war (Hague Conventions, Geneva Protocol), ban specific types of weapons (Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological Weapons Convention), limit weapons research (Partial Test Ban Treaty, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty), limit allowable weapons stockpiles and delivery systems (START I, SORT) or regulate civilian use of weapon precursors (Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological Weapons Convention). The history of weapons control has also included treaties to limit effective defense against weapons of mass destruction in order to preserve the deterrent doctrine of mutual assured destruction (Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty) as well as treaties to limit the spread of nuclear technologies geographically (African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty).
| Weapons of mass destruction |
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The following list includes in parentheses the year the respective treaties entered into force.
General
- Protocol I (1977) and Protocol II (1977) of the Geneva Conventions (1949)
- Environmental Modification Convention (1978)
Delivery systems
- International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (2002, not a treaty)
Biological weapons
- Geneva Protocol (1928)
- Biological Weapons Convention (1975)
Chemical weapons
- Strasbourg Agreement (1675)
- Brussels Convention on the Law and Customs of War (not adopted but relevant language incorporated into Hague Convention)
- Hague Convention (1899 and 1907)
- Treaty of Versailles (1919)
- Washington Naval Treaty (1922)
- Geneva Protocol (1928)
- Chemical Weapons Convention (1997)
Nuclear weapons
Disarmament
- Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) (2021)
Non-proliferation
- Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1957)
- Outer Space Treaty (1967)
- Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (1970)
- Seabed Arms Control Treaty (1972)
- Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1987)
By region
- Antarctic Treaty (1961)
- Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (1968)
- South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone (1968)
- South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (1968)
- Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (1991)
- Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (1997)
- India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement (2008)
- African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (2009)
- Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (2009)
Weapons limitation
- McCloy–Zorin Accords (1961)
- Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963)
- Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (1972–2002)
- Threshold Test Ban Treaty (1974–1990)
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (signed in 1996, has not entered into force as of 2020)
- Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (not completed)
- Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1988)
- SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)
- SALT II
- Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT)
- START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) (1994–2009)
- START II (never entered into force)
- START III (not completed)
- New START (2011)
Cooperation
- Quebec Agreement (with Canada) (1943)
- 1958 US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement
- Nassau Agreement (1962)
- Polaris Sales Agreement (1963)