The Nuclear Threat Initiative, generally referred to as NTI, is a non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C. NTI was founded in 2001 by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and philanthropist

Ted Turner Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He founded the CNN, Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, ...

and describes itself as a "a nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization focused on reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats imperiling humanity." NTI has four policy programs: the Global Nuclear Policy Program, Nuclear Materials Security, Emerging Tech, and Global Biological Policy and Programs (stylized as NTI , bio).

Mission

The Nuclear Threat Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization focused on reducing nuclear, biological, and emerging technology threats imperiling humanity.

History

NTI was founded in 2001 by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and philanthropist

. The launch event was held at the National Press Club on January 8, 2001. An event celebrating NTI's 20th anniversary was held on April 12, 2022, with a one-year delay due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Work

Low-enriched uranium bank

NTI supported the development of an international low-enriched uranium bank to help prevent the proliferation of nuclear technology. NTI advisor Warren Buffett provided $50 million to jump-start the reserve, which is owned and managed by the

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...

and located in Kazakhstan. The bank became fully operational in October 2019 after receiving its first shipment of uranium.

Highly enriched uranium elimination

Serbia

In 2002, NTI provided much of the financial support for a joint US-Russian mission to remove 100 pounds of highly enriched uranium from the Vinča Nuclear Institute in

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, to be flown to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Kazakhstan

NTI provided technical and financial support to help convert 2,900 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium in Kazakhstan in 2005. The organization committed $1.3 million for reactor safety systems.

Nuclear Security Index

NTI has produced a biennial "Nuclear Security Index" in partnership with Economist Impact since 2012. The "NTI Index" benchmarks nuclear security conditions across 176 countries. As part of the Index, NTI also develops and releases a Radioactive Source Security Assessment that includes recommendations on securing and eliminating radiological sources used and stored at thousands of sites across more than 100 countries.

Global Health Security Index

The Global Health Security Index, produced by NTI, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and Economist Impact, is a biennial index that assesses countries' preparedness to respond to pandemics and epidemics. The GHS Index assesses 195 countries' abilities to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies based on publicly available information.

World Health Organization–Nuclear Threat Initiative Emergency Outbreak Response Fund

In 2002, NTI partnered with the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

(WHO) to create a $500,000 rapid response fund for infectious disease outbreaks.

Global dialogue on nuclear security priorities

NTI regularly convenes meetings among global nuclear security experts and government officials to discuss issues related to nuclear security. Global Dialogue summits have taken place in France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan.

Establishment of new organizations

In 2003, NTI created the Middle East Consortium for Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS) with participation from

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

, and the

Palestinian Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, ...

. MECIDS shares official health data and conducts infectious disease prevention training. In 2008, NTI helped create the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), in Vienna, as part of its focus to secure nuclear materials worldwide. NTI also created Connecting Organizations for Disease Surveillance (CORDS), which launched in 2013 as an independent NGO that links international disease surveillance networks, supported by the

and

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Films

The organization produced the 2005 film, ''

Last Best Chance ''Last Best Chance'' is an educational DVD that reveals the modern nuclear threat of international terrorist organizations, produced by the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The DVD is freely available through the NTI-supportewebsite The film stars ...

'', a docudrama about nuclear terrorism that aired on HBO. NTI also produced the 2010 documentary film ''

Nuclear Tipping Point ''Nuclear Tipping Point'' is a 2010 documentary film produced by the Nuclear Threat Initiative. It features interviews with four American government officials who were in office during the Cold War period, but are now advocating for the eliminatio ...

,'' which was screened by President Obama at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

in April 2010 and featured on ''The'' ''Colbert Report''.

Leadership

Ernest J. Moniz has served as chief executive officer since June 2017, and Joan Rohlfing serves as president and chief operating officer. Co-chaired by Moniz, Nunn, and

, NTI is governed by a board of directors with both current and emeritus members from around the globe.

Board of directors

* Ernest J. Moniz, co-chairman and chief executive Officer, NTI * Sam Nunn, co-chair, co-founder and strategic advisor, NTI *

, co-chair *

Des Browne Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, (born 22 March 1952) is a Scottish politician who served in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as Secretary of State for Defence 2006 to 2008 and Secretary of ...

, vice chairman, NTI *

Joan Rohlfing Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters ** Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of ...

, president, NTI * Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi, permanent representative of the United Arab Emirates to the

and special representative for International Nuclear Cooperation * Ambassador Brooke D. Anderson, president of Pivotal Ventures * Dr.

Alexey Arbatov Alexei Georgievich Arbatov (Russian: Алексей Георгиевич Арбатов, born January 17, 1951) is a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Head of the Center for International Security at the Institute of World E ...

, head, Center for International Security at Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences * Edmund G. Brown Jr., former Governor of California * Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, chairman emeritus of the board,

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade a ...

* Gideon Frank, former director general of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission * Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration * Igor S. Ivanov, former minister of foreign affairs, Russia * Jeong H. Kim, former president, Bell Labs * Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO, Biotechnology Innovation Organization * Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN (ret.), 17th chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff * Ronald L. Olson, Partner, Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson * Michael A. Peterson, chairman and chief executive Officer of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation *

Malcolm Rifkind Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind (born 21 June 1946) is a British politician who served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1986 to 1997, and most recently as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament from 2 ...

, former foreign secretary, UK * Ray Rothrock, executive chairman, RedSeal, Inc. and partner emeritus, Venrock * Louis Salkind, president, Bright Horizon Foundation * Laura Turner Seydel, chair of Captain Planet Foundation and director of Turner Foundation * Dr. Nathalie Tocci, director, Istituto Affari Internazionali * Ambassador Alexa Wesner, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria * Dr. Peng Yuan, president, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations

Advisors to the board of directors

* Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. * Siegfried S. Hecker, co-director, Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation

Emeritus board

* Charles A. Bowsher, former comptroller general to the United States and head of the General Accounting Office * Liru Cui, former president of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations * Charles B. Curtis, president emeritus of NTI * Susan Eisenhower * HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan * Ambassador Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, China, and Singapore * Riaz Mohammad Khan, former foreign secretary of Pakistan * Pierre Lellouche * Jessica T. Mathews * Ambassador Hisashi Owada * William J. Perry * Nafis Sadik *

Amartya Sen Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher. Sen has taught and worked in England and the United States since 1972. In 1998, Sen received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions ...

* Fujia Yang

Financials

NTI receives funding from a number of sources, including foundations, individuals, non-U.S. governments, and corporations. Funders and financial information are listed in NTI’s annual report, which is published online each year. The organization does not accept U.S. government funding.

References

External links

* *
Nuclear Security Index

JSTOR Nuclear Threat Initiative, Research Reports
{{Authority control 2001 establishments in Washington, D.C. Anti–nuclear weapons movement Foreign policy and strategy think tanks in the United States Nuclear proliferation Nuclear safety in the United States Organizations established in 2001 Think tanks based in Washington, D.C. Think tanks established in 2001 Existential risk organizations