Each December, Wilton Park, the UK Foreign Office conference centre, hosts an international conference on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In 2016, BASIC Director Paul Ingram authored the official report.
Analysis
China’s UUV seizure was about undersea dominance
As the USNS Bowditch was recovering a UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle, or underwater drone) in the South China Sea on 15th December, a light-fingered Chinese Navy salvage ship reportedly called Naniju swooped in and took it in spite of repeated bridge-to-bridge demands to return the craft.
Opportunities for effective strategic dialogue: bridging the nuclear deterrence and disarmament constituencies
In times when evidence-based policy making approaches are under assault, communities that devote themselves to managing the dangers of strategic competition and nuclear arms racing need to come together to consider ways to realise their common objectives.
Implications of the Marshall Islands Case for nuclear disarmament
On 5th October, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected proceedings made by the Republic of the Marshall Islands against three nuclear-armed states – India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom – for alleged failure to negotiate on the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.
The 2016 OEWG Conference Advocates for Prohibition Treaty
This analysis is based on the fourth draft of the OEWG report, found here.
Does the UK need a nuclear deterrent?
British MPs have thrown their support behind the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons programme. BASIC's executive director, Paul Ingram, was interviewed after the outcome of the Parliamentary vote, arguing that the issue will remain controversial. Watch the interview on Aljazeera's website here: http://video.aljazeera.com/channels/eng/videos/does-the-uk-need-a-nuclea…
Monday’s Trident Debate: What was mentioned, what was left out?
On Monday night, MPs voted 472 to 117 to replace UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system, following a five and half hour Parliamentary debate. The atmosphere was tense; the united SNP benches made an impassioned case against Trident from across the room, while the Conservatives all voted in favour, but for the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee who voted against the motion. Many arguments were aired both for and against Trident. But what kind of arguments did the MPs make?
In an age of ‘smart’ weapons, we can live without nukes
In this article for UPI, Rethinking Nuclear Weapons Project Director Ward Wilson counters the argument that we need nuclear weapons to provide us security in an increasingly dangerous world.