DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
12
Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of
America on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of
Strategic Offensive Arms
On 5 February, the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the
United States of America on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation
of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), 20 entered into force. The parties
began the process of implementing their obligations under the Treaty,
including, inter alia, making plans for the required reductions in deployments,
bilateral consultations, and the exchange and public release of information on
their treaty-accountable stockpiles.
The Bilateral Consultative Commission (BCC) on the New START held
its first two sessions in 2011. As the implementation body established by the
Treaty, the Commission is required to meet at least twice each year, unless
the parties agree otherwise. At each of the BCC meetings, both countries
discussed technical issues related to the implementation of the Treaty. At its
first session, the BCC adopted two joint statements21 pertaining to the conduct
of on-site inspections.
Follow-on measures to the Treaty
Although the Russian Federation and the United States continued
dialogue on further reductions, including their stockpiles of non-strategic
and non-deployed nuclear weapons, no follow-on negotiations were initiated
in 2011. Both sides publicly expressed their respective positions early in the
year, revealing the persistence of divergent views on matters pertaining to
non-strategic nuclear weapons, missile defence and other matters.
In connection with the ratification of the New START, President Barack
Obama, in a message to the United States Senate on 2 February, pledged
“to initiate, following consultation with North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) Allies but not later than one year after the entry into force of the New
START, negotiations with the Russian Federation on an agreement to address
the disparity between the non-strategic (tactical) nuclear weapons stockpiles
of the Russian Federation and of the United States and to secure and reduce
tactical nuclear weapons in a verifiable manner; and ... it is the policy of
the United States that such negotiations shall not include defensive missile
systems”. 22
20 United States Department of State, “New START: Treaty Text”. Available from
http://www.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/c44126.htm (accessed 8 May 2012).
21 Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, “New
START BCC Joint Statements”, 8 April 2011. Available from http://www.acq.osd.mil/tc/
treaties/NST/BCC_statements.htm (accessed 21 May 2012).
22 The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, “Message from the President on the New
START Treaty”, 2 February 2011. Available from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2011/02/02/message-president-new-start-treaty-0
(accessed 21 May 2012).