core sector communique

Secrecy in nuclear weapon governance persists—even in open societies, says SIPRI and DCAF (Stockholm/Geneva, 15 November 2010)—A clear and widespread deficit of democratic oversight and accountability exists across the entire nuclear weapon life cycle, even in open and democratic societies, according to Governing the Bomb, a new joint publication by SIPRI and DCAF launched today at the United Nations in Geneva. While the management of most countries’ nuclear arsenal has evolved to include a wider range of democratic mechanisms, secrecy prevails. The book concludes that only greater oversight, transparency and accountability can pave the way for future non-use and disarmament of nuclear weapons. R

With a special emphasis on civilian control and democratic accountability, Governing the Bomb illuminates the structures and processes of nuclear weapon governance of eight nuclear-armed states—the USA, Russia, the UK, France and China as well as Israel, India and Pakistan. ‘While the USA is the most advanced in terms of democratic oversight and accountability, it still keeps much secret and outside of oversight’, states Bates Gill, SIPRI director and volume co-editor. ‘It is also interesting to note that in other democracies, such as India, Israel and Pakistan, nuclear weapon issues are highly guarded secrets, with the Israeli case being perhaps the most extreme of the three.’ No clear link between regime type and good governance The findings demonstrate that whether a given nuclear weapon state is democratic, quasi-authoritarian or a dictatorship does not determine the decisions it will take regarding non-proliferation, disarmament or a potential use of its nuclear weapons. The case studies show the need to look beyond ‘who is pushing the button’ and clarify the roles and responsibilities of all institutions and actors involved in nuclear weapon governance: the core security actors, the executive, the legislature, the judiciary and civil society. Good governance is the road to disarmament ‘Our case studies indicate that greater oversight and accountability, when properly implemented through a system of checks and balances, lead to good governance of nuclear weapons—that is, restrictions in the further development and proliferation of nuclear weapons as well as the promotion of their non-use and disarmament’ say the authors at DCAF. For good governance to succeed, all nuclear-armed countries must engage a wider spectrum of democratic institutions (legislature, judiciary and civil society) in the process of nuclear weapon governance. Indeed, the future choice lies between a more open and democratic approach to governing nuclear weapons or ever-greater opacity, unaccountability and unpredictability. For editors The book is launched today 13.30 - 15.00 at the United Nations Office in Geneva. Read more about the launch at http://www.sipri.org/media/press_event/genevalaunch  For onsite interview requests please contact Corinne Momal Vanian at the United Nations Office, phone: + 41 22 917 2300, email: CMOMAL-VANIAN@unog.ch. About the book Dr Bates Gill is director of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Prior to being named the SIPRI director in 2007, Gill held the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, from 2002. Dr Hans Born is a senior fellow at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). He has conducted policy studies in the area of human rights, accountability and security sector governance for the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Dr Heiner Hänggi is assistant director and head of research at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). His recent research and publications focus on the concepts of security sector governance and security sector reform. He has consulted for the United Nations and a number of member states on these topics. Contributing authors to the country case studies: Peter D. Feaver and Kristin Thompson Sharp (the USA), Alexi Arabtov  (Russia), John Simpson and Jenny Nielsen (the UK), Bruno Tertrais (France), Bates Gill and Evan Medeiros (China), Avner Cohen (Israel), W. Pal Sidhu (India) and Zafar Iqbal Cheema (Pakistan).   Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. SIPRI is named as one of the world's leading think tanks in Foreign Policy magazine's 'Think Tank Index'.