Towards Nuclear Zero

Rarely in the atomic age have hopes for genuine progress towards disarmament been raised as high as they are now. Governments, prompted by the renewed momentum of non-proliferation and disarmament initiatives, have put nuclear policy at the top of the international agenda.

But how can countries move from warm words to meaningful action? By what means could the world be weaned from its addiction to nuclear weapons and who should undertake the task of supervising this process? This Adelphi examines practical steps for achieving progress toward disarmament, assessing the challenges and opportunities associated with achieving a world without nuclear weapons. It places the current debate over abolition in the context of urgent non-proliferation priorities, such as the need to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of extremist regimes and terrorists. It distils lessons from states that have already given up nuclear programmes and from the end of the Cold War to suggest ways of countering the efforts of Iran and North Korea to acquire nuclear weapons. For the longer term, it offers policy recommendations for moving towards a reduced global reliance on nuclear weapons.

‘An important volume which makes the case that ending our reliance on nuclear weapons is a policy for the realist, not just for the visionary, and outlines some of the practical steps that could help to achieve that goal.’

Margaret Beckett, Former British Foreign Secretary

‘A valuable contribution that shows how nations can be more secure in a world without nuclear weapons and charts the specific policies that can lead in that direction.’

William Perry, former US Secretary of Defense