Introduction: The Path Forward to a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East

ABSTRACT The idea of a weapons of mass destruction-free zone (hereafter WMDFZ, or simply “zone”) in the Middle East is decades old and was first proposed by Egypt in 1990 with support from Iran. Such a zone aims to eradicate chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons from all 22 Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Iran and Israel. Realizing a WMDFZ in the Middle East is paramount for a region reeling from decades of instability, insecurity and WMD proliferation. The scope of the zone should not be limited to ridding the region of these destructive weapons; it should also include the creation of a closer political climate in which it can be achieved, requiring a rare occurrence of collective cooperation in a divided region. This process will require a complete reversal of the current animosity and misunderstanding among regional countries that has decapitated the drive toward improved security and socioeconomic and political advancement in the region. Therefore, the WMDFZ will not only contribute to strengthening nonproliferation efforts, it will inevitably open the discussion to other security-related challenges facing the region. This special feature of the zone includes contributions from diverse voices from within the region and beyond. Activists, practitioners, policymakers and current and former senior diplomats and officials provide insight into the history, prospects, challenges, and possible avenues to achieve this decades-old goal of a WMDFZ.