Visiting Fellow
John CARLSON received an award in the 2012 Queen’s birthday honours list as a member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for service to public administration, particularly in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and to the development of international safeguards policy.Behind those brief words lies a professional lifetime of dedication and innovative contributions to the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, and to nuclear security and safety.John is Australia’s foremost, and perhaps only combined policy and technical expert on nuclear non-proliferation. He is also one of our leading arms control and disarmament experts. In Australia, he is unique. Nobody in Australia today has made such a major, sustained, diverse, practical as well as strategic contribution to Australian and international non-proliferation efforts. It is probably no exaggeration to say that John’s work is better recognised outside Australia than within it.John has been the respected source of apolitical, evidence based advice on these matters to all sides of politics in Australia and political systems around the globe. He has personally contributed to a better, more effective global non-proliferation network and in the Asia-Pacific region and thus to a more secure world.John was a central figure in the international negotiations for the strengthening of the global safeguards system through the Additional Protocol to the IAEA’s safeguards system. Australia was the first country to adopt the Additional Protocol when it was opened for signature in 1997. It is thanks to this enhanced safeguards system that the world was able to detect the illicit Iranian nuclear activities in recent years. John is regularly consulted by leading experts and policy makers in the United States, Russia, Republic of Korea, China, SE Asia and the world’s nuclear governing body, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). His recent retirement from the position of Director-General of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (ASNO) has not slowed him down; if anything he is more active than ever, pursuing his non-proliferation work and policy innovation in the Asia-Pacific region. John is constantly looking for ways in which the system can be practically improved, not only for safeguards but also in nuclear safety and security. John has been generous in sharing his knowledge and insights, often for no remuneration, in working to keep the world safe from nuclear proliferation while maximising the opportunities that peaceful uses of nuclear energy can offer.John is now Counselor with the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative, working on the Nuclear Security Project involving George Shultz, Henry Kissinger, William Perry and Sam Nunn and other projects. The Lowy Institute is proud to have him working with us here as a Visiting Fellow and through our own work sponsored by the Nuclear Security Project. This is also an opportunity to congratulate Professor the Honourable Gareth John EVANS AO QC for his award of Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia in the 2012 Queen’s birthday awards in recognition of his contribution, among other things, to arms control and disarmament.Gareth and John have worked closely together over the years, and continue to pursue their collaboration through promoting the recommendations
http://icnnd.org/Reference/reports/ent/default.htmof the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (co-chaired by Gareth Evans and for which the Lowy Institute provided research support and expertise.) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Lowy Institute has a strong track record of producing original research and fostering debate on the full spectrum of nuclear issues, from arms control and security through to the future of nuclear energy. Priority topics include the future of non-proliferation and disarmament, nuclear strategic challenges in Asia, extended deterrence, the role of the civil nuclear industry in non-proliferation, and Australia’s nuclear policy dilemmas. For more information please visitour
Nuclear Policy Centre.