Violations of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by Iran and North Korea threaten to undermine the legitimacy of the nonproliferation regime. Paul Lettow proposes a comprehensive agenda for improvements, including tougher sanctions against transgressors, a criteria-based system to limit the spread of enrichment and processing technologies, and expansion of International Atomic Energy Agency authority.

A CFR expert on nuclear issues, Paul Lettow says President Obama's agenda will be heavily tilted toward nuclear issues in 2010. He says this is "the ideal moment for strong American leadership on these issues," and despite Obama's disappointment in not wrapping up a new START treaty by the end of the year, Lettow expects the treaty to be signed in early 2010.

Paul Lettow reviews the book, The Hawk and the Dove by Nicholas Thompson. A joint biography of Paul Nitze and George Kennan--two Soviet-era State Department officials--the book is hailed as "well conceived and deftly written," by Lettow.

Paul Lettow and Thomas Mahnken offer specific recommendations for avoiding debilities in the U.S. strategic planning process.

What stake does the United States have in the global nonproliferation regime as it currently exists? What are the risks and rewards of bilateral arrangements with countries such as India?  How can loopholes in the NPT be closed? Should the United States ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty? What are the lessons of voluntary initiatives, such as the Proliferation Security Initiative, for a coalition approach to nonproliferation?

Listen to experts analyze current nuclear nonproliferation agreements, as well as how to address the nuclear ambitions of countries such as India and Iran.

This session was part of the CFR conference: The United States and the Future of Global Governance, which was made possible through the generous support of the Robina Foundation.