Professor in Diplomacy and Strategy
Department of Politics and International Studies
& Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy
Strategic Concept for Removal of Arms and Proliferation (SCRAP)
Overview
The SCRAP proposal began as a provocation to those who believed that multilateral and comprehensive disarmament, both conventional and nuclear, was impossible. It contains draft negotiating text and an explanatory memorandum concerning the basic elements of an internationally legally-binding arrangement for general and complete disarmament within a ten year implementation period. It was developed from chapter 5 of Dan Plesch's Beauty Queen's Guide to World Peace (2004).
Dan Plesch, Director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, talking about SCRAP.
Get involved in SCRAP
SCRAP proposes timetables and a draft treaty for consideration at the United Nations General Assembly, which takes place in September every year. Support our efforts to have SCRAP introduced at the UN General Assembly by sending a letter of support to your government.
To find out more and other ways in which you can get involved visit our SCRAP Facebook page.
SCRAP partners
SCRAP in the public domain
In January 2009 Dr Plesch was asked to present the SCRAP proposal to the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into "Global Security: Non-Proliferation". Read the full submission.
The Committee endorsed the proposal, stating "We conclude that there is a balance to be struck between addressing the specific threats posed by individual categories of weapons, and considering general disarmament in a more holistic fashion. We recommend the Government should consider whether it can better build such considerations into its policies."
The inquiry also stated that:
"Dr Plesch claimed that in practice there is still a "piecemeal approach towards proliferation" and argued that a genuinely comprehensive and global approach to non-proliferation would involve the integration of policy "on nuclear and other WMD non- proliferation, arms control, and disarmament with strategy on conventional weapons to implement a holistic approach within a new Strategic Concept for the Regulation of Arms Possession and Proliferation."
"A major push is needed, not just to control the conventional weapons trade, but also to "reduce holdings of major weapons systems, ordnance stocks and production.""
"He referred to the longstanding legal commitment in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to "general disarmament" of all weapons apart from those needed for internal policing."
In terms of timescale, Dr Plesch proposed that: one could look at getting the job done in the course of a decade. If we have timetables for global warming, and if we think that it is practical to get to grips with the entire climate of the planet, we should also see that it is practical to get to grips with weaponry."
In January 2010, Dr Plesch presented the paper to the "Arms Control for the 21st Century: An International Workshop" at York University's Centre for International and Security Studies conference.
