Bolstering Counter-proliferation Regime

Session: Regency Room
Date/Time: February 20, 2013 / 15:30-16:45

Moderator: Aruni Wijewardane, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies

Speakers:

Bong Youngshik, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies
Choi Kang, Korea National Diplomatic Academy
Pierce Corden, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Matthew Kroenig, Georgetown University
Jim Walsh Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Rapporteur: Mira Rapp-Hooper, Columbia University

Press Release Brief

1. All panelists agreed that there has been some recent progress on counterproliferation, especially the Proliferation Security Initiative. There was, however, significant disagreement on how we should weight nonproliferation vs counterproliferation going forward.

1. On one end of the spectrum, Jim Walsh of MIT argued that nonproliferation has been extremely effective throughout history, while counterproliferation has been at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive.

2. On the other end of the spectrum, Matthew Kroenig of Georgetown University argued that we should adopt a much more aggressive norm of intervening to prevent proliferation, placing this above traditional norms of state sovereignty and shorter-term state interests. This should be accomplished by using military force if necessary.