FMCT Full Form

What is the Full Form of FMCT?

The fissile material cut-off treaty is the expansion of FMCT. It is an international agreement that would limit the development of the two primary components of nuclear weapons: Plutonium and highly enriched Uranium (HEU). The UN Conference on Disarmament (CD), a group of 65 member states created as the primary multilateral negotiation platform on disarmament, has had discussions on this topic. The CD works by consensus and is frequently stalled, slowing progress on FMCT. Non-weapon states that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are already forbidden from developing or obtaining fissile material for weapons. An FMCT would impose new constraints on the five acknowledged nuclear weapon states (NWS—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China) and the four non-NPT members (Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea).

This Story also Contains

1. What is the Full Form of FMCT?
2. History
3. Obligations
4. Limitation Of FMCT

History

• Initially discussed in Acheson-Lilienthal Report in 1946

• UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 48/75L

• UN-CD discussed FMCT in 1995

• International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) established in January 2006

• George W. Bush administration submitted a draft FMCT in May 2006

• Nuclear weapons states met in Geneva in August 2011 to discuss FMCT

Obligations

The many versions for an FMCT are divided into two categories: pre-existing stocks and verification. Concerning pre-existing stockpiles, state parties would be required to reveal to the IAEA all fissile materials in their civilian sector, surplus for all military objectives, and use in military reactors under the 2009 International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) draught treaty. State Parties would commit under Article-I not to develop, acquire, or promote the creation of fissile materials. Each State Party would also commit to deactivate, decommission, and dismantle its fissile material-producing facilities.

Limitation Of FMCT

Nuclear weapon nations do not want a deal that does not address the prohibition on pre-existing fissionable materials and nuclear weapons and equipment declared surplus for defence reasons. On the contrary, nuclear-weapon nations seek a treaty that limits only the production of new fissile or radioactive materials for weapons purposes.