Beyond the Numbers

The current framework of global nuclear
governance is overly focused on numbers: numbers
of nuclear weapons and numbers of nuclear states. While we readily accept the importance of this emphasis,
we also believe that the problems of numbers
are terribly difficult to resolve and are drawing
attention and resources away from alternative efforts
to contribute to nonproliferation and nuclear
security. In Beyond the Numbers, we therefore seek to
highlight alternative approaches to global nuclear
governance.

We remain skeptical that the US and Russia will
conclude a follow-on to the New Start Treaty in the
near term, which has long been held as a precondition
for the multilateralization of the arms reduction
process. The focus on numbers in this domain
means that international efforts will remain in
limbo until there is another round of major bilateral
drawdowns between the US and Russia. Given the
urgency of addressing the problems of nuclear proliferation
in the 21st century, we do not find international
paralysis or inaction acceptable.

The problem from the perspective of global nuclear
governance is that better accounting methods and
enhanced transparency – rather than increased ambiguity
and opacity – are precisely those attributes
that are essential to improving nuclear security,
building trust and ultimately building the foundation
for serious reductions of nuclear weapons in
the future.

Furthermore, accountability and transparency
should be seen as important goals in and of themselves,
even if overall numbers remain the same.
Transparency should therefore go beyond simple accounting;
to build trust and avoid arms races, transparency
of nuclear doctrines is also important.