Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, United States, was an independent federal agency from 1961 to 1999. It coordinated government activities in international arms control. It also advised the president and other government officials on national policy regarding arms control.
The agency conducted studies to help formulate U.S. arms control and disarmament policy. Agency members represented the United States in international arms conferences, including the Negotiations on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, the Nuclear and Space Talks, and the Conference on Disarmament.
The agency negotiated several arms agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union. These agreements included the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) agreements; the Hot Line Agreement; and the Nuclear Accidents Agreement (see Hot line ; Strategic Arms Limitation Talks ). The agency also worked on international agreements banning biological weapons and prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons in outer space and on the ocean floor.
