CNS at the Monterey Institute of International Studies is the largest nongovernmental organization in the United States devoted exclusively to research & training to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Updated: Oct 23, 2009

Supporting CNS

October 23, 2009

Dear Friends:

Twenty years ago was a time of great hope and great uncertainty. By the end of 1989, the Berlin Wall had been breached and the Soviet Union and the United States had embarked on a new era of transparency and cooperation—signing a treaty that removed a destabilizing class of missiles from Europe, establishing a second "hot line" between Moscow and Washington to reduce the risk of nuclear war, and exchanging data on chemical weapons stockpiles. Behind the scenes, however, both sides were concerned that Soviet nuclear materials and weapons were not adequately protected from theft and diversion, concerns heightened by alarming media reports of attempted illicit sales of highly enriched uranium, plutonium, and even nuclear weapons themselves. It was in this environment that I founded the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The Center's first task was to address the threat of loose nuclear materials in the unraveling Soviet Union. Using off-the-shelf computer software, a collection of Russian-language newspapers and journals, and notes from on-the-ground research trips, a small group of Monterey Institute graduate students created a revolutionary open-source database tracking the location and status of nuclear materials in the former Soviet Union. Quickly recognizing the unique value of this information, the United States and other governments became subscribers. The Center also launched a groundbreaking exchange program that brought researchers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet republics to Monterey for intensive training, empowering them to address nonproliferation challenges in their home countries.

By the time CNS celebrated its tenth anniversary in 1999, it was addressing a new set of threats that had emerged over the previous decade. The revelation of Iraq's nuclear weapons program in the early 1990s, and the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in 1998, highlighted the need for governments to tighten controls on exports of sensitive materials. The Center addressed this issue through intensive export-control training programs in regions of concern. At the same time, the failure of the United States Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1999, and growing concern about the viability of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons—the cornerstone of the nonproliferation regime—led the Center to provide regular, behind-the-scenes briefings to key policymakers from around the world to gain support for these critical agreements.

Now, during its 20th anniversary year, CNS is well positioned to address the most critical challenges of the next decade. Through its newly established representative office in Cairo, the Center has become an important voice in the debate over nuclear weapons in the Middle East. And at a time when many other organizations and governments focus exclusively on nuclear issues, the Center has harnessed its unparalleled expertise in biological and chemical weapons nonproliferation to help create and implement solutions to new threats from emerging technologies.

Through two decades of dramatic change, the Center has responded in innovative ways to the critical issues of the day while pursuing its fundamental mission: "To combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by training the next generation of nonproliferation specialists and disseminating timely information and analysis." The Center's contribution to global security grows with each class of graduating Monterey Institute students who apply their knowledge and training in organizations and governments around the world to stem the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Answering the call for more well-trained nonproliferation specialists, CNS will launch the world's first Master of Arts Degree in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies in the fall of 2010.

The Center's work has never been more vital than it is today. No issue is of greater import than halting and reversing the proliferation of WMD, and the Center remains at the epicenter of these efforts. The safety and security of our children and grandchildren depends on how our generation confronts and resolves these critical issues. Please read the stories of some of our impressive graduates in the "Securing the Future" brochure. Once you do, I think you will agree that supporting the Center is one of the best things you can do to create a safer and more peaceful world.

In this period of diminished financial resources, your tax-deductible contribution is more important than ever. Your commitment and generosity have been essential to our many organizational successes over the past twenty years. Please help to secure our future by contributing to CNS today. You can visit http://www.miis.edu/giving and donate online.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. William C. Potter, Founding Director
James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Monterey Institute of International Studies