Disarmament and Non-proliferation France’s activities are based on the following constant principles: act for a safer world; develop friendly relations between States; prevent threats to peace; respect the legitimate self-defence; refuse the arms race; make progress towards general and complete disarmament. Defence and security Disarmament and non-proliferation Published on : March 09th 2026 Dans cette rubrique The Ministry in action Action for peace and respect for human rights Action within the UN Security, Disarmament and Non-proliferation Emergency Humanitarian Action Protecting Human Rights Gender equality: a priority for France Commitment to international justice Digital Diplomacy Promoting a sovereign Europe The European Political Community Defence Europe France and the European Union European matters Promoting French businesses and France’s attractiveness Attracting foreign investment Attracting international students Destination France: The recovery and transformation plan for tourism Promoting French expertise in sport Supporting French exporters Supporting researchers and scientific cooperation globally The French Government’s Trade Policy Ensuring the presence of French culture Cultural Diplomacy Defending Francophonie and the French language Franco-German cooperation Supporting the cultural and creative industries Contributing to sustainable, balanced globalization Addressing the climate and environmental emergency Combating global social inequality External action of local government bodies Summits and global issues Regional strategies Disarmament can only be achieved by reducing or even destroying certain categories of weapons owned by a State (such weapons include chemical weapons and anti-personnel mines). Non-proliferation aims to limit the quantity of certain categories of weapons in existence in the world (particularly weapons of mass destruction including nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological weapons) and to prevent new States or entities from acquiring them. It is therefore also necessary to prevent the re-emergence and re-use of the weapons categories concerned (resurgence of use of chemical weapons in recent years in Syria, for example, despite their total prohibition in the Chemical Weapons Convention). As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a nuclear weapons State in the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), France has special responsibilities to protect and bolster international peace and security. Its action in the fields of countering proliferation, arms control and disarmament takes into account this dual responsibility. It supports the international organizations responsible for implementing international verification systems, and participates in confidence-building and security measures designed to ensure stability and transparency within the international community. It takes into account the changing international security conditions and changes to the strategic context, while looking for broad international solidarity. Useful websites Permanent Representation of France to the OPCW in The Hague (in French) Permanent Representation of France to the Conference on Disarmament Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the cornerstone of the international security architecture and aims to effectively... Fighting Chemical Weapons The term chemical weapons refers to weapons of mass destruction that include toxic chemicals and their components, munitions and devices designed to... Fighting the proliferation of ballistic missiles The proliferation of ballistic missiles, potential vectors of weapons of mass destruction, poses a risk of destabilization for peace and security, as... Elimination and Control of Conventional Arms Conventional arms are defined as weapons that are not “of mass destruction” which do not fall under the category of biological, chemical, nuclear... Eliminating cluster munitions Cluster munitions are traditional munitions, designed to give off or disperse multiple smaller explosives. The fact that they cover a large range and... Elimination of anti-personnel mines Anti-personnel mines: an ongoing struggle Trade, transport and export of arms and sensitive material Export controls on French arms are based on a rigorous legislative and regulatory framework, which takes into account the national imperatives of sovereignty and security, as well as France’s international and European arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation commitments.