the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction remains one of the most serious threats to international peace and stability;

South Asia, in particular, is an area where the threat of a regional nuclear exchange remains high due to continued Indo-Pakistani tensions over issues such as Kashmir;

to date, United States efforts to halt proliferation in South Asia have failed;

although global disarmament is a desirable goal which should be vigorously pursued, both regional and sub-regional security arrangements can serve to decrease tensions and promote non-proliferation in certain areas;

thus far, there has been some success on a regional basis, such as the South Pacific Nuclear Weapons Free Zone and the Treaty of Tlatelolco in Latin America;

in particular, in Latin America, the Treaty of Tlatelolco has been signed by all the nuclear powers;

a critical part of this treaty is Protocol II which prohibits nuclear attacks by nuclear weapons states on signatories to the treaty;

in 1991, a proposal was made for a regional conference on non-proliferation in South Asia which would include Pakistan, India, the People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union, and the United States; and

thus far, Pakistan, China, Russia, and the United States have expressed interest in attending such a conference, whereas India has refused to attend.