Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The United States faces a series of critically important decisions on nuclear procurement, posture, and declaratory policy. Which policies will best ensure effective deterrence while minimizing the risks of escalation and arms racing?
The Obama administration's push for securing ratification of the CTBT is a welcome change in US policy, but will not guarantee the CTBT's entry into force. Both nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon states as well as civil society must contribute to efforts to seek US ratification of the CTBT and pressure hold-out states to do the same.
All NPT states agreed in 2000 to lay out a practical path toward nuclear disarmament – the 13 Steps. While some steps toward disarmament have been taken, much more needs to be done.
Deterrence is not fail-safe against the threat of nuclear conflict; the only long-term answer is to reduce the number of nuclear weapons to zero. In signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the United States committed in essence to that end.
Disarmament obligations promise to be an important topic at the 2009 Carnegie International Nonproliferation Conference, says George Perkovich. Critics question the role of disarmament in discouraging would-be proliferators and disarmament negotiations need the imprimatur of high-level officials from both weapons and non-weapons states to move past this impasse.
U.S. policy options toward Iran lie in engaging Iran on issues of common interest, focusing communication on the office of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and presenting a united international approach to Iran's nuclear ambitions.
A distinguished group of experts from thirteen countries explore how to overcome obstacles to nuclear disarmament and pose questions that require further official and nongovernmental deliberation.
Increased interest in nuclear power has fueled talk of a "nuclear renaissance." But the reality of nuclear energy’s future is more complicated. Without major changes in government policies and aggressive financial support, nuclear power is actually likely to account for a declining percentage of global electricity generation.
On February 4 the United States will join France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China to talk about Iran. This meeting will also be the first attended by the Obama administration. In the days following, the U.S. will need to resolve both substantive and procedural issues if diplomacy is to have a chance of stopping Iran short of acquiring nuclear weapon capabilities.
James M. Acton and George Perkovich respond to a review essay by Elbridge Colby on Abolishing Nuclear Weapons.
The roots of the nuclear order's unraveling can be traced to four distinct factors that have evolved over the last six decades: weaknesses in the original NPT formula, changes in the global distribution of power, nuclear weapons technology proliferation, and complacency with the current regime.