CIC analyzes how the international system handles the threats posed by nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and develops recommendations for strengthening those efforts.  The project seeks to provide in-depth research and analysis to policy makers in key international organizations, engaging them in the design, production, and review of our research whenever possible. As needed, we also organize meetings of practitioners and experts, to explore options for handling specific challenges to multilateral action. 
Current activities focus on three interrelated topics: 

The nuclear fuel cycle: an assessment of recent proposals to guarantee the supply of nuclear fuel, and their prospects for dealing successfully with the challenge of indigenous fuel cycle capabilities.  Is the organizational and political infrastructure in place for these efforts to go forward? 

The Security Council and WMD:  The Security Council’s role in enforcing non-proliferation treaties:  What did we learn from the experience of the Iraqi and North Korean nuclear issues?  What are we learning from the Iranian case?  What could be done better and what should we assume about the underlying political dynamics of effective Security Council action?  UNSCOM, UNMOVIC and the IAEA: capturing the history and relevant lessons for multilateral monitoring and verification.  UNSCR 1540 (which requires states to prohibit the transfer of WMD-related materials to non-state actors): What can we reasonably expect from this resolution, what would success look like, and is it the harbinger of things to come?

The particular imperatives of biosecurity.  The nuclear nonproliferation model is of limited help when it comes to preventing the spread or use of biological weapons.  What do we know about reducing the risk of weapons development in the context of many independent actors?  Is “norm-building” within science and industry the answer?  How do we know if it is working?

Lead Researcher : Christine Wing
Project Staff : Fiona Simpson

Funders: Ford Foundation, Government of Norway, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Reforming the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Time is Running Out
September 2008

The reignited debate about the nuclear fuel cycle has led to a plethora of proposals for reform. Fiona Simpson addresses the future of these proposals in the newest issue of Arms Control Today. Dr. Simpson also took part in a panel discussion hosted by the US Institute of Peace and the Arms Control Association about preventive war and the nonproliferation regime. The event, as well as Dr. Simpson's comments, were featured in an article in the Jerusalem Post.

Expanding Nuclear Power to New States
June 2008

Fiona Simpson recently took part in a Landau Network conference in Como, Italy. The meeting was aimed at matching the needs of the nuclear community, reflecting how buyers and sellers can best realize the promise of nuclear energy under the principles of responsible stewardship.

The IAEA's dilemma
May 2008

In this update to her February article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Fiona Simpson discusses the international reaction to Israel's September 2007 raid on what it believed to be the Al Kibar nuclear site in Syria.

Dr. Hans Blix on Nuclear Disarmament
April 2008

On April 9, the Center on International Cooperation hosted a lecture at NYU by Dr. Hans Blix, chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, former Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC and former Director General of the IAEA. Watch a video of the event, view photos, or read a brief recap.