Creating a World without Nuclear Weapons
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Creating a World without Nuclear Weapons

 

 

14 December 2022

We are pleased to announce that APLN members and staff have been selected as members of the International Group of Eminent Persons (IGEP) for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, announced by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. APLN Chair Marty Natalegawa, Board Members Manpreet Sethi and Tong Zhao, Network Member Akiyama Nobumasa and Senior Research Adviser Tanya Ogilvie-White were selected and invited to participate in the group’s first meeting in Hiroshima last week.

Last week, APLN and the European Leadership Network co-hosted a series of roundtables as part of a joint project assessing strategic risks in the Asia-Pacific and the impact on the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

In recent publications, David Santoro reflects on the lessons learned from US-China expert-level nuclear dialogues for supporting official  nuclear talks. Cheon Myeongguk discusses the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) attitudes toward nuclear weapons. We also highlight member activities.

International Group of Eminent Persons for a World Without Nuclear Weapons

APLN members Marty NatalegawaManpreet SethiTong ZhaoAkiyama Nobumasa and Senior Research Adviser Tanya Ogilvie-White were selected to serve on Japan’s International Group of Eminent Persons (IGEP) for a World Without Nuclear Weapons.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio announced the establishment of the IGEP as a forum in which participants from nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon States exchange ideas and engage in candid discussions on how to realise a world without nuclear weapons.

The first IGEP meeting took place in Hiroshima last week with an opening address by Prime Minister Fumio and video messages from senior political and diplomatic figures including UN Secretary-General António Guterres; Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; and former US President Barack Obama.

Perceptions of Strategic Risk in the Asia-Pacific
and the Nuclear Non-proliferation Regime

Last week, APLN and the European Leadership Network held a series of workshops with officials, APLN members, experts, and practitioners from Japan, South Korea, and Australia as part of a joint FCDO-sponsored project assessing changing perceptions of strategic risks in the Asia-Pacific and the impact on the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The series of workshops culminated in a roundtable event hosted by the Australian Institute of International Affairs in Canberra. Participants discussed current risks and threat perceptions, the impact of emerging technologies and measures to improve regional stability and strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Image Australia Workshop (L-R): Allan Behm, Amy Dowler, Alex Bristow, Bryce Wakefield, Melissa Conley-Tyler, Joel Petersson Ivre, Marianne Hanson, Tanya Ogilvie-White, Charlie Jebb, Shatabhisha Shetty, Ben Zala, Nancy Schneider, Max Hoell, John Tilemann, John Carlson.

Track-2 and Track-1.5 US-China Strategic Nuclear Dialogues: Lessons Learned

David Santoro, President and CEO of the Pacific Forum, reflects on lessons learnt from past expert US-China dialogues, discussing how these initiatives should evolve to improve mutual understanding and support official strategic nuclear talks between the two countries.

He argues that Track-2 and Track-1.5 dialogues have created habits of engagement between US and Chinese experts and epistemic communities; enabled better mutual understanding of where the United States and China stand on key issues; identified areas of convergence and divergence between the two sides; and opened the door to ideas about potential solutions or, at least, mitigation measures.

Read the Special Report

This report is a part of the APLN China-US-Asia Dialogue, a project exploring ways to improve understanding, reduce misperceptions, de-escalate risks and tensions, and build trust between the United States and China.

Implications of the Ukraine War for ROK Security

Cheon Myeongguk, a visiting researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), explores the possible implications of the Ukraine conflict on ROK attitudes regarding nuclear weapons. He shows parallels between the geopolitical situations of Ukraine and the ROK and suggests that Ukraine’s situation underscores the need for the ROK to maintain strong military alliances and further develop its conventional weapons capabilities.
 

Read the Policy Brief

This policy brief is a part of a joint project on Reducing the Risk of Nuclear Weapon Use in Northeast Asia (NU-NEA) with the Nautilus Institute and the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA).

Japan’s Changing Nuclear Energy Policy

Suzuki Tatsujiro, Vice Director and Professor of the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University, writes in The Diplomat on the Kishida administration’s new nuclear energy policy and analyses the viability of the proposed 2050 Carbon Neutral policy.

Incremental Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula

Chung-in Moon, APLN Vice Chair and Sejong Institute Chairman, was interviewed by Frank Aum of the United States Institute of Peace on the situation in the Korean Peninsula. He argues that efforts to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme should be more incremental.

Fixing the Deadlock in North Korean Denuclearization

Chung-in Moon, APLN Vice Chair, also produced a commentary for the East Asia Forum on North Korean denuclearisation, arguing that to deal with the North Korean nuclear issue from a comprehensive regional security perspective, higher-level representation is needed.

Monarchy, Extreme Poverty, and Jacinda Ardern

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, discusses democracy, the rise of populism, the Monarchy, the importance of arts and culture, and the United Nations Development Programme in The Rest is Politics podcast with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart.

Jiang Zemin, Steward of China’s Rise

Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia, writes on the legacy of Jiang Zemin in China’s politics, foreign policy, and economy in The Interpreter. He says Jiang offered rare colour as a leader who saw a “strategic opportunity” for China in engaging with the world.

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