Policy Briefs

Folding the Umbrella: Nuclear Allies, the NPT and the Ban Treaty
Paul Meyer argues that nuclear dependent allies should play a bigger role in convincing their NWS partners to undertake tangible nuclear disarmament action.

Verifying the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and Providing Assurance against Breakout
APLN member John Carlson argues that effective verification will be absolutely essential to achieving nuclear disarmament.

South Korea and Nuclear Weapons: Retrospect and Prospects
Professor Yong-Sup Han of KNDU discusses the history of the ROK's position on nuclear weapons and suggests recommendations for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

Non-NPT Nuclear-Armed States and the NPT: Closing the Gap
APLN member Sadia Tasleem examines the status of the four non-NPT nuclear-armed states -- India, Pakistan, DPRK and Israel -- vis-à-vis the three core objectives of the NPT.

Nuclear Disarmament, the NPT and the Ban Treaty
APLN Board member Ramesh Thakur discusses the ineffectiveness of the NPT while also bringing light to its normative potential.

Energy Insecurity in the DPRK
The authors summarize what is known about the DPRK's energy sector and provide suggestions on how its energy insecurity could be addressed in relation to productive engagement on nuclear weapons.

The North Korean Nuclear Problem
APLN member and former PM of Australia Kevin Rudd offers his solution to the North Korean nuclear problem.

North Korea’s Nuclear Doctrine under Kim Jong Un
Patrick McEachern's paper brings insights into North Korea's nuclear doctrine under Kim Jong Un.

Can We Still Negotiate with North Korea? A South Korean Perspective
APLN Vice Chair Chung-in Moon explains the ROK's perspective on breaking the nuclear deadlock and in making tangible progress towards negotiating with North Korea.

Ending Fissile Materials Production: A Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty and Beyond
Negotiations over the fissile materials cut-off treaty (FMCT) may finally be restarted. This is why the FMCT remains important among states unlikely to outright sign off on the Ban Treaty.