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BASIC's Project on Getting to Zero

Working Towards a Nuclear Weapon-Free World

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BASIC is focusing all its resources on our transatlantic Getting to Zero program, a return to our traditional focus of reducing global nuclear dangers. Working closely with partners in the United States, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, we are looking to help achieve the deep change of global nuclear disarmament increasingly referred to by world leaders. Strengthening the non-proliferation regime will require, as President Mikhail Gorbachev said, both a true political breakthrough and a major intellectual effort. BASIC can contribute to both.

1. Vision and mission

We look to a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons, formalized in negotiated treaties established by a cooperative global security agenda. We understand that this will take a concerted effort over an extended period, and that quick fixes, though sometimes desirable, are elusive. Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are inseparable. They are both essential to global security, and to building the greater international trust and confidence that are essential to progress. BASIC looks to develop and use our established reputation as a respected and trusted independent source of information, ideas and perspectives to strengthen the international momentum gathering behind both these processes in the United States and in Europe. We are focusing our efforts on encouraging everyone to engage with an open mind in the search for more sustainable global security.

2. BASIC's Objectives

1. To encourage transatlantic security policies that bolster moves towards achieving nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.

2. To facilitate opportunities and organize events for transatlantic dialogue on multilateral nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation to flourish.

3. BASIC's Strategy

1. To work with people of diverse opinion to develop practical and attractive alternative approaches that can achieve progress toward nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.

2. To communicate effectively through BASIC research papers and reports, comment pieces, blogs and other media in a manner that is engaging and inclusive; to promote public understanding and insight; and to foster informed debate and creative solutions.

3. To serve as a trusted source for politicians, government officials and other decision-makers as they deepen their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.

4. To serve as a key source for media and other opinion shapers in promoting these strategies.

5. To promote active partnership within the network of international NGOs working toward our same goals.

4. Context

The world is grappling with a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and Asia, the risk of nuclear-armed terrorists, and overzealous responses to security challenges by the current nuclear powers. Furthermore, pressures on the inequity at the heart of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are building. But we have not reached the point of no return. Recent positive developments have built upon the famous op-eds by the "four statesmen"* in the United States, who started a new bi-partisan call in January 2007 for a world without nuclear weapons. Former high-ranking states people in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe have since echoed their call. The British government has also made clear its support. Perhaps most profoundly, U.S. President Barack Obama has made this mission a core part of his administration's work. Played right, progress on this agenda could reduce nuclear dangers, and have far-reaching positive impacts.

5. BASIC's GTZ Goals for 2010-11

There are vital opportunities in the run-up to this year's NPT Review Conference, including: the Obama administration's Nuclear Posture Review and Quadrennial Defense Review, discussion over NATO's Strategic Concept, the Global Nuclear Summit in Washington in April 2010, Congressional action on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) follow-on and Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and debates in all nuclear weapon states around the costs of retaining arsenals at a time of financial cuts.

1. to promote political and technical dialogue between the nuclear weapon states on practical and significant steps towards nuclear disarmament in advance of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, to ensure a successful outcome;

2. to encourage NATO to reduce its dependency upon nuclear weapons within its Strategic Concept and to continue the withdrawal of US tactical nuclear warheads from Europe in a manner that involves and retains the confidence of all allies;

3. to work for a freeze on the modernization of UK Trident and of US nuclear weapons;

4. to promote changes to military doctrines (schools of thought and teachings) to reduce the salience of nuclear weapons;

5. to promote US ratification of START treaty follow-on and further elaboration of the verification provisions within the previous START Treaty;

6. to promote US ratification of the CTBT as a step to bringing the Treaty into force;

7. to encourage negotiations and agreement on a fissile material treaty.

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*George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger and Sam Nunn, "A World Free of Nuclear Weapons," Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2007; and "Toward a Nuclear Free World," Wall Street Journal, January 15, 2008.

More on Getting to Zero

Working Towards a Nuclear Weapon-Free World

• Latest News
• Chronology and Links
• Getting to Zero Papers
• Getting to Zero Email Updates
• Events

BASIC's work is made possible by the generous support of our donors: the Ploughshares Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, Marmot Trust, Allan and Nesta Ferguson Foundation, Network for Social Change, the Nuclear Education Trust, Rockefeller Family & Associates, and individual contributors to BASIC. We are grateful to all of them for their support.