Creating the Environment for Nuclear Disarmament (CEND) is a US Initiative, launched in 2018. It aims to foster global nuclear disarmament by addressing the underlying security dynamics that hinder progress. A key focus of the initiative is on risk reduction, which involves mitigating the dangers associated with nuclear weapons and preventing conflicts that could escalate to nuclear use.

By promoting dialogue among nuclear-armed and non-nuclear-armed states, as well as engaging international organizations and civil society, CEND seeks to build mutual trust and create conditions conducive to disarmament.

The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs was honored to host the most recent CEND meeting in Berlin from the 27th until the 29th of May. At the meeting, the Working Group on Risk Reduction, co-chaired by Finland and Germany, accomplished its work of the past years by issuing the Conclusions “Interim Measures to Reduce the Risks Associated with Nuclear Weapons”. The Conclusion and the two comprehensive compendia that formed the basis of the Conclusions, can be found here:

Conclusions “Interim Measures to Reduce the Risks Associated with Nuclear Weapons”

Compendium I

Compendium II

These texts remain under the responsibility of the co-chairs of this CEND Subgroup, Ambassador (ret.) Michael Biontino, Germany, and Ambassador Jarmo Viinanen, Finland, assisted by Wilfred Wan (SIPRI) and do not reflect a consensus.