Strengthening International Nuclear Security Cooperation

From October 15 to 17, 2014 the Stanley Foundation convened a group of experts and policymakers from the United States and abroad to address these issues at its 55th annual Strategy for Peace Conference. The group, chaired by Professor Matthew Bunn, discussed ways to overcome challenges to nuclear security cooperation faced by the United States, Russia, and China, and next steps to ensure that countries put in place effective and sustainable nuclear security measures with strong security cultures.

The objectives of the roundtable were to identify the potential of and constraints on nuclear security cooperation and to develop options for action. As part of the discussion, the group assessed what strategies are most effective for strengthening and sustaining physical security and security culture at the operator and organizational levels; whether cooperation to strengthen security was still in the interests of all countries and to what extent; what approaches would best help facilitate cooperation; and whether there are new avenues of cooperation that should be considered. The group also examined ways to identify and incentivize domestic nuclear security champions in these countries.

This policy brief, written by Nickolas Roth, outlines lessons about challenges from past nuclear security cooperation and outstanding issues that the United States, Russia, and China still need to address. It also identifies options for action for strengthening US cooperation with Russia and China, respectively, and for strengthening nuclear security overall.