The MNWC has been distributed by the United Nations and submitted to the US Congress as a discussion document.

A number of developments have opened the way for negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention:

• On July 8, 1996, the International Court of Justice (World Court) concluded unanimously that there is an obligation for States to negotiate for complete nuclear disarmament.
  
• On December 5, 1996, 60 retired Generals and Admirals, including General Lee Butler, Head of U.S. Strategic Command (1992-1994) released a statement calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
  
• On December 10, 1996, and again in 1997, 1998 and 1999 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolutions calling for negotiations to commence leading to the conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention.
  
• On March 13, 1997, the European Parliament called on all its members to support negotiations leading to the conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention.
  
• Recent public opinion polls in US, UK and other NATO countries indicate over 80% of citizens support the negotiation of a nuclear weapons convention.

• Abolition 2000, which was established in 1995 to promote a nuclear weapons convention, has become one of the world's largest international networks with over 2000 member organizations.

If nuclear weapons are not eliminated it is inevitable that someday they will again be used either by accident, miscalculation or on purpose. The world's governments have negotiated conventions to abolish biological weapons and chemical weapons. The time is now ripe to agree to a nuclear weapons convention.

LCNP has prepared two companion documents to the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention:

• A Statement of Purpose and Summary, which outlines why a nuclear weapons convention should be negotiated, how such negotiations could take place and summarizes the convention in non-legal language.
  
• A Commentary on the convention which includes sources and rationale for the specific elements of the convention.

A publication "Securing Our Survival: The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention" (see publications) includes updates of the three documents, plus additional responses. The Nuclear Weapons Convention Monitor, released in April 2000, updates the debate on nuclear abolition.

In this section:

Model Nuclear Weapons Convention (MNWC)

Statement of Purpose and Summary of the MNWC

Model Nuclear Weapons Convention

Commentary on the MNWC

Resolutions calling for a nuclear weapons  convention:

United Nations:

- 52/38 (1997)

   - 53/77 W (1998)

- 54/54 Q (1999)

Speech by Malaysian Ambassador to the UN Introducing the 1999 Draft Resolution

The Nuclear Disarmament Journey: Comments on the UN Resolution on the ICJ Opinion and Nuclear Weapons Convention

United States Congress:

U.S. House Resolution on a Nuclear Weapons Convention

European Parliament:

Resolution on the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Adopted March 13, 1997

Publications:

Securing Our Survival: The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention

Nuclear Weapons Convention Monitor: Updating the debate on the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons. Issue 1, April 2000

Fact Sheet

Non-Proliferation Treaty:

Working paper on a Nuclear Weapons Convention submitted by Malaysia and Costa Rica