From left to right: Christine Wing, Geoff Wiseman, and Nabil Fahmy. From left to right: William Potter, Sverre Lodgaard, and John Simpson.

The Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group is an international body of distinguished nonproliferation analysts and veteran policy practitioners working to craft responses to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats around the world. The Strategy Group has recently been revived and given a more narrowly focused and action-oriented agenda with a view to find and strengthen common ground in the nuclear nonproliferation sphere. The revamped Strategy Group aims to identify the basis for forging consensus or near-consensus on creative but realistic approaches that address key nuclear proliferation challenges.

From left to right around table: Rudiger Ludeking, Paul Meyer, Lawrence Scheinman, William Potter, Leonard Spector, and Santiago Mourão.

Meetings

• March 13-14, 2008 - Fourth Session of the Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group
  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."

• June 28-30, 2007 - Third Session of the Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group
  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.

• November 3-4, 2006 - Second Session of the Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group
  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.

• April 28-29, 2006 - 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.

View past meetings.

The activities of the Monterey Nonproliferation Strategy Group are supported by the The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Edgerton Foundation.