Working Toward a World Without Nuclear Weapons

In 2007, a who’s who of the national security establishment— former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former Senator Sam Nunn —announced their support of a world without nuclear weapons, describing a new world of ever-expanding nuclear appetites, in which traditional deterrence no longer works. The four leaders created the Nuclear Security Project to galvanize global action to reduce urgent nuclear dangers and build support for their vision and the steps to achieve them.
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About the Four

Documentary Tackles Nuclear Dangers, Features Shultz, Perry, Kissinger, and Nunn

Nuclear Tipping Point is a new documentary film that focuses on conversations with four men intimately involved in American diplomacy and national security over the last four decades. Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former Senator Sam Nunn share the personal experiences that led them to write four Wall Street Journal op-eds in support of a world without nuclear weapons and the steps needed to get there.

Spurring Global Action

In 2007, when former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former Senator Sam Nunn announced their support of a world without nuclear weapons and described the steps to get there, the impact was global. Government leaders worldwide expressed support. But one of the most intriguing responses to the op-ed series was a wave of like-minded opinion editorials from high-level, former officials around the world. As of last year, former officials from 13 countries had joined together across party lines to publicly endorse the vision and agenda by speaking out on the pages of the press.

Creating a Blueprint for Action

Important and difficult challenges need to be addressed, in order to forge a path to a world without nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Security Project is working to fill the gaps in understanding and develop the blueprint for action needed by government leaders to guide future policymaking and diplomacy to reduce nuclear dangers. Important work has been done over the years to define major mileposts on the path to a world without nuclear weapons, but there are still a number of key gaps in the conceptual framework and technical details. Studies sponsored by the Project address issues like verification, cooperation between the United States and Russia, NATO nuclear posture and more.

News

Latin American Leaders Call for Attention to Nuclear Risks

Today, political and diplomatic leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean launched a new network promoting nonproliferation and concrete actions leading to a world without nuclear weapons. Members of the Latin American and Caribbean Leadership Network (LALN) endorsed a set of priorities, underscoring the region’s role in the global effort to reduce nuclear risks. Read the press release.

Bill Perry at the Nuclear Brink

In a new paper, titled, "My Personal Journey at the Nuclear Brink," former U.S. Secretary of Defense and NSP principal Bill Perry recounts six pivotal life experiences that led him to the belief that nuclear weapons must be eliminated. "When citizens understand the dangers of nuclear weapons today, the great majority of them will call for actions to reduce those dangers," he writes. "But since these dangers are not understood by most of our citizens, the needed actions are not being taken, and we are drifting towards a nuclear nightmare."

Perry and Carter: Keep Focus on Nuclear Dangers

Former Secretary of Defense William Perry and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter highlighted nuclear risks and warned against slipping backward on the nuclear threat reduction agenda. Speaking about nuclear security, Carter told Bay Area women leaders, "You can never ever take your eye off this because it's the single most consequential security problem we face as humankind."

PIR Center Trains Professors and Researchers

The PIR Center invited university professors and research institute staff from Russia and the former Soviet states to learn more about and discuss key events and trends in nonproliferation, arms control, peaceful nuclear energy and nuclear security, global Internet governance, and global information security with leading experts in the field.

Taking Stock of Nuclear Commitments

Ramesh Thakur highlights a new report from Australia National University called "Nuclear Weapons: The State of Play” in a Japan Times op-ed. The report assesses the progress made through 2012 on more than 200 commitments and recommendations of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, the 2010 and 2012 Nuclear Security Summits, and the 2009 ICNND report, noting that commitments on disarmament are falling through the cracks.

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About the Nuclear Security Project

Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former Senator Sam Nunn joined together to form the Nuclear Security Project—an effort to galvanize global action to reduce urgent nuclear dangers and build support for reducing reliance on nuclear weapons, ultimately ending them as a threat to the world. In a groundbreaking series of op-eds, published in The Wall Street Journal and linked at right, they describe their vision of a world without nuclear weapons and the steps to get there.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative works with Stanford University’s Hoover Institution to coordinate the work of the principals and manage the project.