At a symposium titled “Fresh Ideas for the Future,” Harvard Belfer Center nuclear expert Francesca Giovannini summarized a research paper in which she calls for a collective approach to nuclear security.
Five Key Challenges to Disarmament
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York City is underway! Speaking at a side event for “Promoting a Successful Outcome of the 2015 NPT RevCon,” Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom laid out the following five key challenges to complete disarmament.
House Appropriations Committee on Energy and Water Bill
Earlier today, the House Committee on Appropriations marked up the FY 2016 Energy and Water appropriations bill, in conjunction with the release of the FY 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Report. The report recommends spending levels for nuclear weapons activity and programs to counter nuclear terrorism and proliferation, and provides stipulations for implementation. No amendments were offered regarding nuclear weapons or nuclear non-proliferation during the markup.
U. S. Highly Enriched Uranium: Mitigating the Risk
For terrorists seeking to develop a nuclear weapon or improvised nuclear device, the most challenging obstacle is the acquisition of enriched nuclear material. But after several security failures, there are concerns about whether the United States’ stockpile of HEU is secure.
Arms Control after New START
On April 8th 2010, President Obama and President Medvedev signed New START, a nuclear weapons treaty designed to increase transparency and decrease deployed nuclear forces. While tension between Russia and the U.S. has inhibited diplomatic engagement on most issues, both countries are still working towards the agreed goal of 1550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads by February 2018. But as we celebrate the national security benefits of New START, looking past the agreement towards the future of nuclear arms control requires a crystal ball.
