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October 14, 2022

Interview with Sico van der Meer

This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

Sico van der Meer discusses his role at the Clingendael Institute, where he focused on nuclear policy at the behest of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He reflects on the impact of nuclear weapons in global politics and the Netherlands' limited, specialized civil society dedicated to nuclear issues. Van der Meer addresses missed disarmament opportunities post-Cold War, due to lack of urgency and funding, and emphasizes the need for civil society’s role in public awareness and nuanced policy discussions, pointing to initiatives like the TPNW as examples of impactful activism.

This document summary was generated by an artificial intelligence language model and was reviewed by a Wilson Center staff member.

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2024-10-30

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Interview

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301076

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Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)

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Civil Society and Nuclear Risk Reduction

Exploring the role and effectiveness of civil society in mitigating nuclear risks, this paper emphasizes the varied ways impact is defined and measured. The paper highlights achievements such as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), spearheaded by ICAN, which successfully stigmatized nuclear weapons but has yet to yield significant disarmament outcomes. Drawing on global interviews, it reveals a spectrum of civil society contributions, from shaping policy discourse and raising public awareness to increasing visibility for marginalized voices. While direct reductions in nuclear risk are limited, the paper underscores the importance of civil society’s broader efforts in advocacy, network-building, and creating pathways for future policy change.

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