A Practical Strategy for Nuclear Risk Reduction and Disarmament: Fulfilling the Code of Nuclear Responsibility

The briefing argues that current nuclear risk reduction efforts lack an overall strategy to achieve the NPT's disarmament end state. It identifies a deteriorating risk landscape, highlighted by the UK's 2021 Integrated Review, and proposes a two-tiered strategy consisting of 'Preparative Steps' (such as adopting a Code of Responsible Nuclear Weapon Ownership and declaring a 'sole purpose' policy) and 'Formative Steps' (including bans on nuclear cruise missiles and non-strategic nuclear weapons). The authors emphasize that risk reduction is symbiotic with the 'conditions to enable nuclear disarmament' (CEND) project and advocate for a flexible approach to overcome hurdles like the NPT's 'principle of irreversibility'.

• The UK's March 16, 2021, Integrated Review signals a deteriorating risk landscape by reversing a decade-old commitment to reduce warhead stockpiles, increasing the ceiling from 180 to 260, and introducing 'ambiguity' regarding warhead numbers.
• The UK has broadened caveats to its Negative Security Assurances, indicating it would consider a nuclear response to certain non-nuclear threats, which the authors argue increases the risk of miscalculation and undermines NPT ideals.
• Four systemic changes are increasing the urgency for risk reduction: the rise of high-precision conventional weapons in the strategic arena, novel technologies like AI and drones, the destabilizing effects of climate change on global security, and the decline of the established world order.
• The proposed strategy consists of 21 steps divided into 'Preparative Steps' to divert the current strategic direction and 'Formative Steps' to cement meaningful change, all grounded in a 'Code of Responsible Nuclear Weapon Ownership'.
• Key preparative actions include declaring nuclear weapons as weapons of last resort, implementing CATALINK hotlines for crisis communication, and adopting a 'sole purpose' policy to separate nuclear and non-nuclear conflict.
• Key formative actions prioritize the reduction and eventual banning of non-strategic nuclear weapons and nuclear cruise missiles before moving toward a universal No First Use (NFU) policy and full disarmament.
• The NPT's 'principle of irreversibility' may hinder progress by making nuclear-armed states reluctant to take positive unilateral steps for fear they cannot be reversed.

APA

Gower, J., & Parthemore, C. (2021). A Practical Strategy for Nuclear Risk Reduction and Disarmament: Fulfilling the Code of Nuclear Responsibility. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/A-Practical-Strategy-for-Nuclear-Risk-Reduction-and-Disarmament_Fulfilling-the-Code-of-Nuclear-Responsibility_Briefer-17_2021_4_19.pdf

Chicago

Gower, John, and Christine Parthemore. A Practical Strategy for Nuclear Risk Reduction and Disarmament: Fulfilling the Code of Nuclear Responsibility. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2021. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/A-Practical-Strategy-for-Nuclear-Risk-Reduction-and-Disarmament_Fulfilling-the-Code-of-Nuclear-Responsibility_Briefer-17_2021_4_19.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gower |first1=John |last2=Parthemore |first2=Christine |title=A Practical Strategy for Nuclear Risk Reduction and Disarmament: Fulfilling the Code of Nuclear Responsibility |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=19 April 2021 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/A-Practical-Strategy-for-Nuclear-Risk-Reduction-and-Disarmament_Fulfilling-the-Code-of-Nuclear-Responsibility_Briefer-17_2021_4_19.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gower2021practical, author = {Gower, John and Parthemore, Christine}, title = {{A Practical Strategy for Nuclear Risk Reduction and Disarmament: Fulfilling the Code of Nuclear Responsibility}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/A-Practical-Strategy-for-Nuclear-Risk-Reduction-and-Disarmament_Fulfilling-the-Code-of-Nuclear-Responsibility_Briefer-17_2021_4_19.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }