Question

What is the key difference between &#x27;arms control&#x27; and &#x27;disarmament&#x27;?

Accepted Answer

The key difference between &#x27;arms control&#x27; and &#x27;disarmament&#x27; is that arms control seeks to manage and regulate armaments to reduce the risk of war, while disarmament aims for the complete elimination of certain types or categories of weapons. Arms control involves measures such as limiting the production, deployment, or testing of weapons; establishing rules of engagement; or promoting transparency and confidence-building measures. It does not necessarily involve eliminating weapons altogether but rather focuses on making their use less likely or less destructive. Disarmament, on the other hand, is a more ambitious goal that seeks to abolish specific weapons or categories of weapons entirely. For example, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a disarmament treaty that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons, requiring states to destroy their existing stockpiles. In contrast, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is an arms control treaty that limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons that the United States and Russia can possess, but it does not require the complete elimination of these weapons. Therefore, arms control aims to manage and regulate weapons, while disarmament aims to eliminate them.

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What is the key difference between 'arms control' and 'disarmament'?