IP24100 | Can Moratoria Break the Current Arms Control and Disarmament Deadlock?
IP24100 | Can Moratoria Break the Current Arms Control and Disarmament Deadlock?
Abstract
At a time when the prospects of concluding new arms control and disarmament agreements are not good, it is important to consider other tools that could help. One such tool is a moratorium — a state’s voluntary suspension of specific military activities. While there were some limits to the effectiveness of moratoria in the past, they may still be useful in the current context, where there is a lack of agreement on topics such as the use of AI in the military domain.
In this paper, GCSP’s Head of Arms Control and Disarmament argues that whilst not perfect, moratoria can play a role in paving the way for future arms control and disarmament agreements. Given the current challenges to reaching new agreements, moratoria could be an important first step in reducing tensions and establishing norms. This could be particularly relevant to the use of emerging technology in the military domain.
Simon Cleobury is Head of Arms Control and Disarmament. He is a former British Deputy Disarmament Ambassador (2017 – 2023), where he represented the UK at the Conference on Disarmament and other disarmament fora in Geneva. Prior to that he worked in the Security Council Team and then the Peacebuilding Team at the UK Mission to the UN in New York (2012 – 2016). Prior to his diplomatic career, he was a corporate lawyer with global law firm Baker McKenzie. Simon obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Modern History at University College London and a Master’s Degree in Historical Research from Oxford University. He studied law at BPP Law School, London.
Disclaimer: This publication was originally published on the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) website. The views, information and opinions expressed in this publication are the author’s/authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of the GCSP or the members of its Foundation Council. The GCSP is not responsible for the accuracy of the information.