Publications

A tighter net: strengthening the Proliferation Security Initiative

Emma Belcher

Summary

In a new Lowy Institute Policy Brief, entitled 'A Tighter Net: Strengthening the Proliferation Security Initiative', non-proliferation scholar Emma Belcher urges practical steps for WMD non-proliferation at sea.

Australia and other countries should redouble their efforts to fix serious gaps in an international arrangement to stop maritime shipments of materials destined for weapons of mass destruction programs, according to the Brief. It argues that heightened concerns over North Korea provide an opportunity to bolster the Proliferation Security Initiative, a 95-country arrangement to promote interception of transfers of cargoes related to weapons of mass destruction.

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Movie trailer: Iron Sky
I won't bother with a synopsis, since the teaser trailer below tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the premise of this film, which is premiering in Berlin (!) next month....Read more

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The 2011 Lowy Institute Poll

The seventh annual Lowy Institute Poll surveys Australian public opinion on a wide range of foreign policy issues. New questions this year cover attitudes towards the US alliance and the war in Afghanistan, opinions on basing US forces in Australia, WikiLeaks, foreign aid and the intervention in Libya.

The Poll also repeated questions asked in previous years, revealing trends in public opinion on topics such as climate change, asylum seekers, and attitudes towards Indonesia, the United States and China.

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Weathering change

For decades, extended nuclear deterrence (END) has supported stability and non-proliferation. But questions need to be asked about whether and how it might effectively endure in a changing world. Is END somehow coming to an end? Or should it and can it adapt to a 21st century strategic environment involving new threats, shifting power balances and fresh moves towards non-proliferation and disarmament?

In Weathering Change, prominent global experts and emerging scholars share their core assessments on the future of the so-called nuclear umbrella. Their points of difference and agreement make essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of international security and the practical prospects for eliminating nuclear dangers. This publication represents the Lowy Institute’s contribution to the Nuclear Security Project’s May 2011 conference and is designed to stimulate the thinking of policy leaders and opinion makers worldwide.
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