Asia-Pacific Leadership Network

23/04/2026

APLN member Mely Caballero Anthony, Professor of International Relations at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, analyses the global trends in biotechnology alongside other emerging biological risks, arguing that strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) requires a multifaceted approach: ranging from national capacity-building and regional cooperation to the integration of cutting-edge science and engagement with industry stakeholders.
Read the full paper here:https://unodaweb.unoda.org/public/2026-01/OP46-web.pdf

23/04/2026

We are excited to welcome Ariel Phuphaphantakarn and Hree Putri Samudra to our team! 👏🏻 They will be working closely with us to amplify our research and policy agenda, while helping manage our social media, website, and upcoming events. We look forward to working together to deepen our engagement in international security and expand our impact.

21/04/2026

In this APLN The Korea Times column, Carlos Sorreta King Sorreta, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, argues that the recent military escalations between the United States, , and are likely to have reinforced North Korea’s conviction that nuclear is the only way to prevent foreign intervention. It would encourage to advance its weapons programs and fuel a dangerous nuclear armament cycle in East Asia, complicating any prospects for denuclearisation. Consequently, the international community must utilise the upcoming NPT Review Conference to reinforce nonproliferation pillars and stabilise regional security to prevent a total collapse of global efforts.

The Korea Times ColumnMiddle East conflicts’ implications for two KoreasKorean PeninsulaMiddle EastUnited States (Trump Administration)IsraelNPT17 Apr 2026 | Carlos SORRETADownload and Print as PDF The armed attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, and Iran’s subsequent armed attack...

13/04/2026

On April 7, APLN Members Gareth Evans and Manpreet Sethi spoke at an event hosted by the Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament on proposals for No First Use policies and their potential role in advancing nuclear risk reduction and .
Watch the recording ⤵️

A discussion with parliamentarians, policy experts and civil society representatives on proposals for NoFirstUse policies, and the roles these could play in ...

13/04/2026

In this APLN The Korea Times, Kazuko Ito argues that the US and Israel’s use of force against Iran violates international law and exposes deep hypocrisy in the post-war UN system. She warns that such actions, alongside support for Israel despite alleged human rights violations in Gaza, risk eroding global norms and triggering a broader breakdown of the international order. She calls for Asia-Pacific countries, particularly Japan and South Korea, to reduce their overreliance on bilateral ties with the US and instead build a dense network of multilateral partnerships to establish a more just, resilient, and rules-based global order.
核兵器をなくす日本キャンペーン

The Korea Times ColumnTime for Strategic Dialogue on Great Power Threats to Peace and Security3 Apr 2026 | ITO KazukoDownload and Print as PDF The system of peace and security established under the U.N. Charter is now facing its most serious crisis since the end of World War II. This crisis has been...

08/04/2026

In this APLN The Korea Times column, Tokyo-based human rights lawyer Kazuko Ito urges nations to replace strategic over-reliance on the US with resilient multilateral security partnerships to safeguard international law and global peace from superpower overreach.

Read the full article here:

The Korea Times ColumnTime for Strategic Dialogue on Great Power Threats to Peace and Security3 Apr 2026 | ITO KazukoDownload and Print as PDF The system of peace and security established under the U.N. Charter is now facing its most serious crisis since the end of World War II. This crisis has been...

08/04/2026

We asked experts to respond to ROK Foreign Minister Cho's argument that non-proliferation is "a strategic imperative" for South Korea. They agreed on the goal but not on whether Seoul has done enough to back it up.

Toby Dalton, Co-director and a senior fellow of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that South Korea must implement transparency and incentive-based measures to prove its advanced capabilities are for peaceful use, thereby reassuring the global community and maintaining regional stability.

Bong-Geun Jun, Professor Emeritus at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, believes that South Korea will be the last country to go nuclear; since its prosperity is built on global norms, nuclear armament would be a catastrophic trade-off that jeopardizes its very foundation.

Maria Rost Rublee, Professor of International Relations at The University of Melbourne, highlights that for countries like South Korea and Australia, adherence to nonproliferation norms is a catalyst for, rather than a constraint on, national power, advocating for a partnership between Seoul and Canberra to champion the peaceful and responsible use of nuclear technology.

Read the APLN Pulse here:

The PulseNon-Proliferation as a Strategic Imperative: Experts respond to ROK Foreign Minister2 Apr 2026 | JUN Bong-geun, Maria Rost RUBLEE and Toby DALTONOn April 1, ROK Foreign Minister Cho Hyun addressed the South Korean nuclear armament debate in an exclusive commentary for the Asia-Pacific Leade...

01/04/2026

South Korea's Foreign Minister CHO Hyun has written exclusively for APLN on one of the most pressing non-proliferation questions of the moment.

With Seoul pursuing uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, and nuclear-powered submarines, concerns have grown internationally that South Korea may be building a latent nuclear weapons capability. Minister Cho's response is unequivocal: "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Writing ahead of the NPT Review Conference later this month, the Minister makes the case that non-proliferation is not a constraint on South Korea but "a logical strategic imperative" - underpinning the country's alliance with the United States, its economic strength, and its democratic identity.

He argues, "If the Republic of Korea were to abandon its commitments under the NPT, that would mean becoming another North Korea."

APLN will be publishing responses from our network members and international experts in the coming weeks. Read the Minister's full commentary and join the conversation.

https://www.apln.network/analysis/commentaries/non-proliferation-as-a-strategic-imperative

CommentariesNon-Proliferation as a Strategic ImperativeROKNuclear DisarmamentKorean Peninsula1 Apr 2026 | CHO HyunDownload or Print as PDF The Republic of Korea is pursuing a set of nuclear policy initiatives: advancing efforts to modernize its nuclear fuel cycle and to introduce conventionally arme...

31/03/2026

In this commentary, Sahar Khan analyses how the integration of into the Indian and Pakistani militaries has altered the regional security environment, increasing the need for credible ‘guardrails’ to reduce escalation risks and recognize mutual vulnerabilities. She argues that both countries should publicly reaffirm that launch authority remains under meaningful human control, tailor crisis communication for AI-driven incidents, and establish informal understandings not to target nuclear command-and-control ( ) infrastructure with operations.

CommentariesAI is Quietly Reshaping Nuclear Risk in South AsiaPakistanIndiaSouth AsiaEmerging and Disruptive TechnologiesArtificial Intelligence27 Mar 2026 | Sahar KhanDownload or Print as PDF Artificial intelligence (AI) is not yet running nuclear launch systems in South Asia. But the rapid integra...

30/03/2026

We are delighted to welcome Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja as our newest network member. He currently serves as the Executive Director of ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR).

Ambassador Puja possesses extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, having served as Indonesia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Austria, and Slovenia, and Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna and Geneva. Notably, he was the ASEAN-SOM Leader for Indonesia and held high-level security roles, including Governor to the IAEA, Representative to the CTBTO, and Indonesian Sherpa for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. His leadership extends to disarmament and peace-building, having chaired the Chemical Weapons Convention Preparatory Conference and served as a key negotiator for the Aceh Peace Agreement.

27/03/2026

As Southeast Asian countries transition to nuclear energy, Alvin Chew explores South Korea’s strategic role as a leading nuclear exporter in the region, with a focus on its engagements with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. He argues that Seoul should leverage its nuclear partnership with the United States to form a joint nuclear consortium, ensuring a stable and -safeguarded supply chain of enriched uranium. This would strengthen South Korea’s competitiveness in the Southeast Asia market while providing maximum transparency to the international community.

Read here: https://www.apln.network/analysis/policy-briefs/securing-the-rok-nuclear-fuel-cycle-implications-for-southeast-asia

S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies