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Policy debates around participation in multilateral information-sharing mechanisms highlight fundamental tensions in nuclear-armed states between safety, national security, and international security. Assuring other states that fissile materials are securely managed against the global threats of illicit proliferation and nuclear terrorism is a widely recognized priority. Yet, there are compelling safety and security incentives for nuclear-armed states to keep information about their fissile material stocks secret. In South Asia, these tensions are further complicated by the unique histories of nuclear weapons in India and Pakistan and South Asian participation in global nuclear governance. Are voluntary information-sharing mechanisms regarding sensitive nuclear issues valuable?

In this SAV series, Muhammad Faisal, Maimuna Ashraf, Hina Pandey, and Pooja Bhatt respond to a recent paper by nuclear scholars Sharon Squassoni and Cindy Vestergaard. The paper proposes that South Asian nuclear-armed states voluntarily report their civilian plutonium holdings through participation in an existing multilateral mechanism, the Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium or INFCIRC/549. Contributors assess whether and how participation in multilateral information sharing on nuclear materials can enhance and/or hamper Indian and Pakistani national interests.

Articles in Collection

Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium: India’s Case Nuclear Issues

Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium: India’s Case

Since India and Pakistan became nuclear-armed powers in 1998, the…

Benefits and Challenges of Nuclear Information-Sharing in South Asia Nuclear Issues

Benefits and Challenges of Nuclear Information-Sharing in South Asia

In our essay entitled “Charting Nuclear Security Progress in South…

India’s Reservations About Voluntary Reporting of Civilian Plutonium Stocks Nuclear Issues

India’s Reservations About Voluntary Reporting of Civilian Plutonium Stocks

The canvas of global nuclear issues is immense, encompassing three…

Prospects for Civilian Plutonium Management in Pakistan and South Asia Nuclear Issues

Prospects for Civilian Plutonium Management in Pakistan and South Asia

Over the past three decades, the progressive accretion of nonproliferation…

Sharing Nuclear Information Nuclear Issues

Sharing Nuclear Information

Voluntary information-sharing declarations can be a communication tool for nuclear-armed…

Voluntary Information Sharing on Civilian Plutonium: A Perspective from Pakistan Nuclear Issues

Voluntary Information Sharing on Civilian Plutonium: A Perspective from Pakistan

In its broadest sense, transparency refers to disclosing information that…