Key takeaways

  • Unilateral initiatives can offer flexibility and speed and serve as tools to rebuild trust and habits of cooperation.
  • The success of these measures will likely depend on perceived sincerity, the signalling process, domestic and geopolitical contexts as well as leadership and leadership style.
  • Such initiatives can lay the groundwork for subsequent substantive activities and can offer a viable path to reinvigorating arms control and disarmament efforts.

At a time of rising geopolitical tensions, when multilateralism is under strain, what role can unilateral measures play in reducing the global risk of nuclear weapons? The report explores past precedents and paths forward for steps to reduce weapons arsenals without a reciprocal arrangement in place. It explores the potential of unilateral measures to reinvigorate arms control efforts and build international trust.

The report analyses three historical case studies:

  • Gorbachev’s 1985 unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing
  • The 1991 Presidential Nuclear Initiatives
  • The 1969 renunciation of biological weapons by the US

The report identifies key factors that influenced the success or failure of these efforts and how unilateral action can foster trust and facilitate future reciprocal agreements.