Working group 2: International Measures for Compliance to Nuclear Disarmament Regimes
Most regimes for the control of nuclear weapons include international measures, such as sanctions, to promote negotiations, agreements and their implementation. Sanctions are largely tied to the process of preventing proliferation: negative ones to get the party in question to initiate discussions, and relaxation of negative sanctions as concessions by the sanctions’ senders. However, it seems reasonable to suggest that for agreements to emerge in non-proliferation cases, substantial concessions have to be made, which could be viewed as positive sanctions. These are largely assumed to relate to security concerns (e.g. integrating the non-proliferation target into a regional or global setting) or economic matters (e.g. allowing the non-proliferation target to retain or develop its nuclear power capacity). This interplay between the imposition of sanctions and their subsequent relief is often accompanied by a process of verification, to ensure that the agreements reached are being upheld.
The aim of Working Group 2 is to investigate the role of sanctions in making countries join and adhere to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or other non-proliferation arrangements. At the same time, for a complete understanding, there is a need to also investigate cases where sanctions have not led to parties joining or adhering to the NPT. Through the study of historical cases and current situations, we work towards establishing an empirical overview of how sanctions can contribute to non-proliferation or other disarmament initiatives.
Research topics
- The efficacy of sanctions in preventing nuclear weapons proliferation.
- Comparing negative and positive sanctions in prevention of nuclear proliferation.
- Developing the foundations for sanctions data.
- Exploring international verification regimes.
Working group leader: Dr Peter Wallensteen
Dr Peter Wallensteen is Professor emeritus of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University and Richard G. Starmann Sr. Research Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame, USA. He initiated and directed the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) 1978-2015 and was the head of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, 1972-1999. He was the first holder of the Dag Hammarskjöld Chair at Uppsala University, 1985-2012, and of the Richard G. Starmann Chair at University of Notre Dame, 2006-2018. Since 2021 he is Deputy Chair of the Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament, Uppsala University, and leads its working group on sanctions for prevention of nuclear proliferation.
The volume Peter Wallensteen: A Pioneer in Making Peace Researchable (Springer 2021) explains his involvement in peace research and presents ten of the major research fields he has contributed to. One deals with experiences of peace agreements and his Understanding Conflict Resolution is now in its 6th edition (2023, with editions in Arabic and Korean). Another major field has been the use of sanctions for different purposes, including ending wars and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. In 2022, Peter Wallensteen and Armend Bekaj co-authored a book, detailing Alva Myrdal’s contributions to nuclear weapons negotiations. In 2024 Wallensteen and Bekaj published their edited volume on Sanctions and Nuclear Weapons, a result of the deliberations of Working Group 2.
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Researcher: Dr Armend Bekaj
Dr Armend Bekaj is a Researcher at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (DPCR), Uppsala University, Sweden. He combines academic and policy experience on peace and conflict, and democracy vs autocracy, with a focus on sanctions, verification and nuclear disarmament/non-proliferation.
His latest publications include the books Sanctions for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: Moving Forward (co-editor with Peter Wallensteen), and Former Combatants, Democracy, and Institution-Building in Transitory Societies: Kosovo and North Macedonia.
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Working Group Members
- Thomas Biersteker, Targeted Sanctions Consortium (TSC), Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland
- Rishika Chauhan, King’s College London, UK
- David Cortright, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA
- João Paulo Nicolini Gabriel, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil
- Francesco Giumelli, Department of International Relations and International Organization (IRIO), University of Groningen, The Netherlands
- Doğukan Cansın Karakuş, European Centre for Minority Issues, Flensburg, Germany
- George A. Lopez, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA
- Trita Parsi, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Washington DC, USA
- Clara Portela, Law School, University of Valencia, Spain
- Gilberto Rodrigues, Federal University of ABC-UFABC, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Sarah Tzinieris, King’s College London, UK
- Jo-Ansie van Wyk, Department of Political Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa
- Rizwan Zeb, Air War College Institute (AWCI) Karachi, Pakistan
Armend and Peter with intern Amelie Hedgren
Publications
2024
- Book Edited by Armend Bekaj and Peter Wallensteen: Sanctions for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Moving Forward, Routledge
2022
- Book Edited by Peter Wallensteen and Armend Bekaj, Alva Myrdal: A Pioneer in Nuclear Disarmament, Springer International Publishing
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Outreach
Book launch tour:
17 Oct 2024, Indiana
- Peter Wallensteen at book launch at Kroc Institute, Indiana. Read more.
28 Oct 2024, London
- Armend Bekaj at book launch at King’s College London.
26 – 28 Nov 2024, Geneva
- Peter Wallensteen and Armend Bekaj at book launch at Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva.
- Peter Wallensteen and Armend Bekaj have an introductory meeting and book promotion with The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
- Peter Wallensteen and Armend Bekaj have an introductory meeting and book promotion with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
- Peter Wallensteen and Armend Bekaj have an introductory meeting and book promotion with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).
Other Events
6 Dec 2024
- Armend Bekaj presents upcoming paper at the first International Interdisciplinary Nuclear Disarmament Symposium at the University of Bradford.
22 Nov 2024
- Peter Wallensteen and Thomas Jonter discuss the work of the AMC in Uppsala University’s podcast Forskarpodden.
17 October 2024
- Peter Wallensteen gave a talk at The Swedish Institute of International Affairs's "Gymnasiedag: Krig och fred". Read more on LinkedIn.
27 August 2024
- The seminar "Kriget i Ukraina – hur kan kriget få ett slut?" at the Gothenburg Book Fair featured Peter Wallensteen and Oscar Jonsson, researcher at the Swedish Defense University.
- The seminar "Efter Ukraina – måste vi tala om risken för kärnvapenkrig igen?" at the Gothenburg Book Fair featured Peter Wallensteen and Jakob Hallgren, director of The Swedish Institute of International Affairs and AMC board member.
14 November 2023
- Peter Wallensteen gave a talk at The Swedish Institute of International Affairs's "Gymnasiedag: fred och säkerhet med fokus på kärnvapen".
Media
Peter Wallensteen
- interview by the Dag Hammarskjöld foundation on the contemporary threats to multilateralism and its impact on peacebuilding 2025/04/23
- "De vet vad kärnvapen faktiskt innebär" Aftonbladet.se, 2024/10/11
- Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo UU.se 2024/10/11
- Nobels fredspris till Nihon Hidankyo – ”Påminner om farorna med kärnvapen” 2024/10/11
- Peter Wallensteen on the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize // Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies // University of Notre Dame 2024/10/11
Contact
- For questions about the working group's research and activities:
- Peter Wallensteen
- Armend Bekaj