Gabriela Bernal authored a potent argument for why the world needs the US, China, and Russia to once again work together on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. As a first step, she says the US must fundamentally change its policy and diplomatic approach toward North Korea before any real progress can be made.

Meanwhile, Nathanial Gronewold explores whether the lessons on offer from environmental diplomacy hold any value for practitioners of nuclear diplomacy.

Finally, we are pleased to announce that APLN and the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) have begun a joint project focused on preventing dangerous maritime incidents and unintended escalation in the Asia-Pacific, supported by the US Department of State. Work is now underway with further updates to follow in the coming months. We also highlight our members’ activities below.

Gabriela Bernal, a researcher and PhD candidate at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, explains why it’s critical that the US, China, and Russia set aside their differences and cooperate on halting and reversing North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Bernal says the current Biden administration approach–all pressure, no engagement–is a dead end. For the three powers to join forces in convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, she says the US must first resign itself to the new reality and make Korean Peninsula denuclearization a very long-term goal.

Nathanial Gronewold, APLN’s senior communications adviser, explores whether past environmental diplomatic success stories hold clues that could be valuable to practitioners of nuclear diplomacy. Though there are vast differences between these two modes of diplomacy, Nate shows how multilateral environmental agreements expose certain patterns to state behaviour. He offers lessons of successful MEAs in the hope that nuclear policy experts’ consideration of them may improve chances for a positive outcome at the next NPT Review Conference.