Stimson Report 19

Second Report of the Steering Committee, Project on Eliminating Weapons of Mass Destruction

General Andrew J. Goodpastor (USA, retired) Chair

Convinced of the need for a fundamental reassessment of the future roles of nuclear weapons and their associated risks after the Cold War, the Henry L. Stimson Center in January 1994 launched a multi-year project intended to encourage serious consideration of the conditions under which all states might move toward the progressive elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. The first annual report of the project’s Steering Committee, issued in January 1995, noted that much progress had been made in recent years to devalue weapons of mass destruction, but pointed out that much remained to be done. The Committee called for a high-level national and international debate on next steps toward diminishing nuclear dangers and on the longer-term future of nuclear weapons. This report is intended to contribute to that debate. It is the product of a year-long discussion among the Committee members about the future risks and roles of nuclear weapons, both in US policy and in the United States’ relations with other countries.