WATERLOO, Canada — The international commission on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, chaired by former foreign ministers Gareth Evans of Australia and Yoriko Kawaguchi of Japan, faced two hurdles even before its work was completed.
First, both countries are long-standing allies that have sheltered under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Second, between the setting up of the commission in mid-2008 and the publication of its report this week, the nuclear agenda has been dramatically transformed with President Barack Obama's commitment to the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
The first risk was one of credibility, the second of irrelevance as the commission's deliberations were overtaken by events in the real world. The commission's report, titled "Eliminating Nuclear Threats," responds to both. There is a good discussion of extended deterrence and the need to reassure allies that their security needs will not be compromised en route.