Nuclear Weapons Free Zones

Almost the entire southern hemisphere is now covered by nuclear weapon-free zones. The ones in Latin America and the South Pacific were established during the Cold War, those in Southeast Asia and Africa after its ending. Zones have also been proposed, so far without success, for the Middle East, South Asia and Northeast Asia.

This study explores the reasons for success and failure in the establishment of these zones, and their utility and limitations as stepping stones to a nuclear weapon-free world.