Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction

The G8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction is a security initiative announced at the 2002 G8 summit. It entails a pledge by G8 members to commit US$ 20 billion, over a ten-year period, towards the elimination and security of some weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Russia and former soviet states. The agreement was initiated against the backdrop of the September 11 attacks and specifically aimed to deny terrorists access to WMDs. Some of the stated priorities include: destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons, dismantling decommissioned nuclear submarines, safeguarding/disposing fissile material as well as employing former weapons scientists. The initiative was extended in 2011. Now it has 27 members after Hungary joined in December, 2013.