Towards nuclear zero / David Cortright and Raimo Väyrynen.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [169]-182).

Why disarmament? Why now? -- Challenges to the non-proliferation regime -- Why states give up the bomb -- Lessons from the end of the Cold War -- Assuring security -- Addressing regional challenges -- Building cooperation for non-proliferation and disarmament -- Nuclear zero and beyond -- A policy agenda for enhancing security without nuclear weapons.

Rarely in the atomic age have hopes for genuine progress towards disarmament been raised as high as they are now. Governments, prompted by the renewed momentum of non-proliferation and disarmament initiatives, have put nuclear policy at the top of the international agenda. But how can countries move from warm words to meaningful action? By what means could the world be weaned from its addiction to nuclear weapons and who should undertake the task of supervising this process? This Adelphi examines practical steps for achieving progress toward disarmament, assessing the challenges and opportunities associated with achieving a world without nuclear weapons. it places the current debate over abolition in the context of urgent non-proliferation priorities, such as the need to prevent terrorists. It distils lessons from states that have already given up nuclear programmes and from the end of the Cold War to suggest ways of countering the efforts of Iran and North Korea to acquire nuclear weapons. For the longer term, it offers policy recommendations for movings towards a reduced global reliance on nuclear weapons.