Nuclear Threat Initiative

About: Nuclear Threat Initiative is a nonprofit organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Public health & Global health. The organization has 15 authors who have published 21 publications receiving 851 citations.

Decision-making and Radioactive Waste Disposal

Abstract: Introduction 1. A short history of 'low level' radioactive waste disposal 2. A more equitable distribution of responsibility? The low level radioactive waste policy act and the US compact system 3. From Central Compact solution to $146 million bad-faith settlement: low level radioactive waste disposal in Nebraska 4. From Lone Star solution to Texas Compact: low level radioactive waste disposal in Texas 5. "A long way short of having broad community support": low level radioactive waste disposal in Australia 6. Ensuring El Cabril is not a "millstone for future generations": low level radioactive waste disposal in Spain 7. "One of the most contentious and complex policy issues in the history of policy-making": low level radioactive waste disposal in South Korea 8. "Too fast, too comprehensive and technocratic": low level radioactive waste disposal in Switzerland Conclusion

The Value Proposition of the Global Health Security Index

Abstract: Infectious disease outbreaks pose major threats to human health and security. Countries with robust capacities for preventing, detecting and responding to outbreaks can avert many of the social, political, economic and health system costs of such crises. The Global Health Security Index (GHS Index)—the first comprehensive assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across 195 countries—recently found that no country is sufficiently prepared for epidemics or pandemics. The GHS Index can help health security stakeholders identify areas of weakness, as well as opportunities to collaborate across sectors, collectively strengthen health systems and achieve shared public health goals. Some scholars have recently offered constructive critiques of the GHS Index’s approach to scoring and ranking countries; its weighting of select indicators; its emphasis on transparency; its focus on biosecurity and biosafety capacities; and divergence between select country scores and corresponding COVID-19-associated caseloads, morbidity, and mortality. Here, we (1) describe the practical value of the GHS Index; (2) present potential use cases to help policymakers and practitioners maximise the utility of the tool; (3) discuss the importance of scoring and ranking; (4) describe the robust methodology underpinning country scores and ranks; (5) highlight the GHS Index’s emphasis on transparency and (6) articulate caveats for users wishing to use GHS Index data in health security research, policymaking and practice.

Challenges and Opportunities in Scientific and Technological Support for Monitoring in the Non-proliferation Regime

Abstract: This paper focuses largely on the challenges and opportunities for monitoring declared and undeclared facilities for other than peaceful uses. There are five technology areas for monitoring that will be addressed: (1) wide area environmental sampling, (2) open-source satellite imagery, (3) civil society reporting, (4) antineutrino detection, and (5) data fusion and automation to combine information from multiple sources.

NTI Nuclear Security Index: A Model for State-Level Approaches to Nonproliferation and Arms Control

Abstract: The NTI Nuclear Security Index (NTI Index) is a first-of-its-kind public assessment of nuclear security conditions on a country-by-country basis in 176 countries. Initially launched in 2012 (a fifth edition is planned for release in June 2020), the NTI Index helps spark international discussions about priorities required to strengthen security and most important, encourages governments to provide assurances and take actions to reduce risks. Developed with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and with input from a respected international panel of nuclear security experts, the NTI Index draws on NTI’s nuclear expertise and the EIU’s experience in constructing indices, and the reach of the EIU’s global network analysts and contributors. This chapter examines whether the NTI Index methodology could apply to the state-level concept (SLC) in the nonproliferation and arms control verification context, including a discussion of the benefits and constraints of developing an index tool for assessing a country’s compliance with nonproliferation and arms control commitments. For further details on the NTI Index, please see the NTI Index website: www.ntiindex.org.