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How does NATO make the world safer? William Alberque, NATO’s top expert on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, reveals all.

NATO’s extensive pool of subject matter experts tell you what you need to know about a wide variety of defence and security issues around the world, and what NATO is doing to make you safer and more secure.

From fighting terrorism, to collective defence, learn about the security issues that matter, directly from the experts.

In this episode, William Alberque, Director of NATO’s Arms Control, Disarmament and WMD Non-Proliferation Centre, elaborates on what NATO has achieved in destroying hundreds of thousands of weapons. NATO limits the proliferation of weapons by destroying small arms, clearing landmines and using diplomacy to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons. This makes the world a less dangerous place and helps guarantee the long-term safety of Allied states.

--SOUNDBITE—(ENGLISH) William Alberque, Director, NATO Arms Control, Disarmament and Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation Centre


“Arms control helps prevent war and arms races, and with the current world situation, those are pretty important things to do.










Disarmament can only happen if we get at the causes of conflict, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is the only legitimate way the whole world can work together to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.


At the same time, we have to work together every day to eliminate all other weapons of mass destruction, or WMD as we call it, so that no one else will have to face attacks with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. And we have to get rid of the illicit small arms and light weapons that make the world a more dangerous place.




On small arms and light weapons, NATO has destroyed more than 600,000 guns, tens of millions of rounds of ammunition. We’ve cleared hundreds of hectares of landmines, and so much more. Nuclear weapons committed to NATO’s defence have been reduced by more than 95
per cent since the height of the Cold War.

And NATO has been involved in the drafting of just about every significant arms control and non-proliferation treaty since the 1960s.

Because Allies knew instinctively that its mission was to deter our enemies from attacking us, but that an endless arms race was in no one’s interest.

Allies also meet all the time at our Headquarters here in Brussels in more than 10 different dedicated committees, to coordinate policies and implementation of arms control, disarmament and WMD non-proliferation.

So arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation is all about making the world safer. It’s just what we do.”





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