Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The unfinished business of arms control is being taken up this week in two separate sets of talks in Geneva. Negotiations resume on the Russia-US Start treaty update and, separately, the UN’s Conference on Disarmament.

Russia and the USA begin negotiations again 22 January to agree on a treaty to replace the 1990s-era Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) which officially expired 5 December 2008.

The aim of the negotiations is to further reduce each country’s nuclear arsenal below levels agreed to in 1991.

Sticking points are questions like how to control the return of stockpiled weapons to active use, how to balance weapons reductions with a global missile shield, and the difficulties presented by mobile as against silo-based weapons systems. Both sides agreed to abide by the existing treaty obligations despite its formal expiry.

The ultimate goal is the elimination of nuclear weapons

The UN’s Conference on Disarmament begins in Geneva where it left off at the end of last year: moving forward on a programme of work agreed to in 2009. In 2010 the Conference hopes to make progress on implementing the 2009 programme. The plenary session will adopt the agenda 19 January.

The Conference’s stated goal is to find a consensus towards the goal of  “practical steps for progressive and systematic efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of their elimination”. The Conference has been plagued by delays and a lack of agreement.

Background: “Geneva Start talks on pause, Lavrov, US State Dep’t upbeat“, 24 December 2009, GenevaLunch

Links to other sites: Permanent Mission of Russia site, Permament Mission of USA site, UN Conference on Disarmament

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