To compete and thrive in the 21st century, democracies, and the United States in particular, must develop new national security and economic strategies that address the geopolitics of information. In the 20th century, market capitalist democracies geared infrastructure, energy, trade, and even social policy to protect and advance that era’s key source of power—manufacturing. In this century, democracies must better account for information geopolitics across all dimensions of domestic policy and national strategy.
MTA/ISP Research Fellow Emma Belcher will present a seminar entitled "The Proliferation Security Initiative: An Effective and Legal Mechanism to Prevent WMD Proliferation?" on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 9:30am in the Belfer Center Library. All are welcome to attend.
The Bush administration's Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) initially attracted critics given its nature as a a loose association of states, without a rigid structure or charter, and without formal association with the United Nations or the nonproliferation treaties. More recently, however, it is being seen as a useful tool to prevent WMD proliferation.
This presentation will explore the legal basis for the PSI, examine its activities, coverage and capabilities, using a counter factual analysis based on cases of known illicit proliferation.