An international body of distinguished nonproliferation analysts & veteran policy practitioners strengthening common ground in nuclear nonproliferation.

Updated: Sep 1, 2009

Meetings

Sixth Session

View Report: Nuclear Weapon Free Zones and the Middle East [PDF]

View Report: Verification of Nonproliferation and Disarmament Measures [PDF]

The Strategy Group convened from 23 to 24 August 2009 in Monterey, California. The meeting focused on issues associated with nuclear weapon free zones—particularly in the Middle East—and the verification of nonproliferation and disarmament measures.

Fifth Session

View Report: Session V: Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: Nuclear Challenges and Policy Options for the Next U.S. Administration [PDF]

The Strategy Group convened from August 20-21, 2008 at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California to consider the issue of "Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: Nuclear Challenges and Policy Options for the Next U.S. Administration." A CNS Occasional Paper on this meeting was just published.

Fourth Session

View Report: Session IV: Preconditions for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East

The Strategy Group convened from March 13-14 at the Italian Institute for the Study of International Politics (ISPI) in Milan to consider the issue of "Preconditions for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East."

Third Session

View Report: Session III: Practical and achievable nuclear arms reduction and disarmament

The Strategy Group convened from June 28-30, 2007, in Monterey, California to address practical and achievable steps to advance nuclear arms reduction and disarmament.

Members of the Group presented papers on a range of key issues, including how to advance the process and objectives of nuclear disarmament, practical steps by the nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states to implement or encourage progress on disarmament as outlined in Article VI of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), and what approaches to take in order to disarm NPT outlier states. The keynote address was delivered by Ambassador Chun Yungwoo (Republic of Korea), Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, who is actively involved in the Six-Party Talks.

Several members of the Group also participated in a special public forum, "Nuclear Nonproliferation: A Regime in Crisis?" held in honor of CNS's renaming as the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

The meetings concluded with a lively discussion of recommendations for setting the nuclear disarmament agenda for 2010 and beyond. A substantive report of the meetings' key findings is forthcoming. The next Strategy Group meeting will be held from September 13-15, 2007 in Gstaad, Switzerland in conjunction with a high level seminar on "Energy and Global Security, jointly sponsored by the Geneva Center for Security Policy, the Swiss Government, the PIR Center and CNS.

Second Session

View report: Session II: Verification of and compliance with the nuclear nonproliferation regime: Renewed commitments or new approaches? [PDF format]

The second session of the Strategy Group, entitled "Ways to Strengthen Verification of and Compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime," was held in New York on 3-4 November, 2006 in cooperation with the International Peace Academy. The workshop was undertaken with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

The main focus of the meeting was verification of and compliance with the nuclear nonproliferation regime, in particular identifying a narrow set of items on which some convergence of views could be found. The workshop agenda was comprised of seven sessions addressing renewed commitments and approaches towards the strengthening of the nuclear nonproliferation regime. The agenda allowed for focused discussions on practical ways of influencing the nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament policies through coordinated and targeted outreach activities; the role of the IAEA and the Security Council in verifying compliance; the effectiveness of international verification; identifying disparities between the levels of verification and compliance provisions, as well as preventing potential breakouts.

The seminar concluded with an overview of the weaknesses and strengths in the verification and compliance regime and recommendations for a holistic approach to nonproliferation verification and compliance challenges. A summary report of the second session is available on the CNS website.

The next meeting, scheduled to be held in Monterey on 28-30 June, will focus on practical and achievable nuclear arms reduction and disarmament measures over the short and medium term.

Revamped Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group in search of common ground

View report: Session I: Ways and Means to Eliminate the Threat of Fissile Material [PDF format]

Judging by events during the past few years, the nuclear nonproliferation regime has entered some rather muddy waters. Given widespread complacency, divergent threat perceptions and limited political will, it would be fair to conclude that options to regain firmer ground are both limited in scope and support. Although short on substance, the 2005 Review Conference of Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) served to turn the "spotlight" on possible common ground issues, which if developed further, could move the treaty back to more solid ground.

The first meeting of the revamped Strategy Group, held in Washington D.C. on 28 and 29 April 2006, was mostly devoted to issues related to civilian and military use of fissile material. The Group examined ways to strengthen Article IV and investigated options for combating nuclear terrorism by (i) minimizing the nuclear threat in the civilian sector, and (ii) preventing illicit trafficking of nuclear material. Focusing also on the military use of fissile material, the Group considered prospects for a fissile material treaty.

The Group concluded its first meeting by identifying possible ways and means to eliminate the threat of fissile material. A report on the range of issues discussed at the meeting and policy options identified by the Group is available on the CNS website.

The next meeting of the Group will focus on ways to strengthen verification of and compliance to the nuclear nonproliferation regime.

WMD Threats and Cross-Cutting Nonproliferation Challenges: Time for Creative Policy

This Strategy Group meeting, hosted by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), was held in Carmel, California, and discussed "WMD Threats and Cross-Cutting Nonproliferation Challenges: Time for Creative Policy." In addition to Strategy Group members, participants at the meeting included leading experts in the field. Given the confluence of events that threatens the international nonproliferation regime today, the primary goal of this Strategy Group meeting was to evaluate the cumulative impact of these events and to propose a set of creative policy recommendations for national governments and international organizations. To this end the meeting considered whether the nonproliferation regime is in need of a evolutionary or revolutionary change; the impact of North Korean nuclear brinkmanship; Iranian nuclear aspirations; the growing dangers posed by non-state actor acquisition and use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons; and ways to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention. The report on the meeting provides an overview of the range of the issues discussed and highlights the policy options identified.

Preventing Mass-Destruction Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation

View report: Preventing Mass-Destruction Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute hosted a Strategy Group session on "Preventing Mass-Destruction Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation." Leading European experts joined Strategy Group members for intensive and wide-ranging discussions (PDF) of terrorist use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; risks and implications of a U.S.-led war against Iraq; threats posed by tactical nuclear weapons; and the strength and effectiveness of nonproliferation regimes. Participants considered respective U.S. and Russian views on nonproliferation from Ambassador John Wolf, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation; and Ambassador Grigory Berdennikov (PDF), Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna.

September 11th and Its Aftermath: Prospects for NBC/M Proliferation and Nonproliferation

View report: September 11th and Its Aftermath: Prospects for NBC/M Proliferation and Nonproliferation

Responding to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Strategy Group met in Monterey to analyze "September 11th and Its Aftermath: Prospects for NBC/M Proliferation and Nonproliferation." Participants examined a wide range of measures that could be employed to avert terrorism and to reduce mass-destruction threats to U.S. and international security.

• CNS Occasional Paper No. 8, "After 9/11: Preventing Mass-Destruction Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation", presents papers written for the meeting and a thematic review of the group's deliberations.

Proliferation Challenges and Nonproliferation Opportunities for the Bush Administration

View report: Proliferation Challenges and Nonproliferation Opportunities for the Bush Administration

The Group considered "Proliferation Challenges and Nonproliferation Opportunities for the Bush Administration," in a session organized by CNS and hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. Officials from the George W. Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Reagan administrations participated in this meeting. Strategy Group members and special guests included U.S. officials with present or past responsibilities in the House and Senate, the departments of Defense, Energy, and State, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the National Security Council. Although focused on U.S. policy, Strategy Group members from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East enriched the discussion with diverse international perspectives.

• CNS Occasional Paper No. 6, "WMD Threats 2001: Critical Choices for the Bush Administration", presents a collection of policy papers developed for this session.

New Nonproliferation Challenges, Paradigms, and Policies

View report: New Nonproliferation Challenges, Paradigms, and Policies

The Group convened in Monterey, CA, to explore "New Nonproliferation Challenges, Paradigms, and Policies."

• CNS Occasional Paper No. 4, "Proliferation Challenges and Nonproliferation Opportunities for New Administrations", compiles papers prepared for and based on this meeting.

The Impact of National Missile Defense on Nonproliferation Regimes

Group members assembled in Washington, DC, in an effort to forecast "The Impact of National Missile Defense on Nonproliferation Regimes."

Coping with Nonproliferation Crises

View report: Coping with Nonproliferation Crises

The Strategy Group's second session examined "Coping with Nonproliferation Crises," and was hosted by the Non-Proliferation Project of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington, DC. In this meeting, Strategy Group members discussed briefing papers on five current and potential crises.

Regimes under Siege

View report: Regimes under Siege

CNS convened and hosted the Strategy Group's inaugural session on "Regimes under Siege," in Monterey.

• CNS Occasional Paper No. 3, "Nonproliferation Regimes at Risk", offers works developed for this meeting.