The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Positions for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ______I. Nuclear Proliferation Over 200,000 lives were lost due to the dropping of the atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan at the end of the second World War. As modern technology advances, the potential loss of life continues to remain a great threat. Despite international efforts such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation on Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the global community is still at risk of the grave consequences of misusing nuclear technologies. In September of 2017, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched the most recent testing of nuclear capabilities in the form of a hydrogen bomb measuring over 100 kilotons. Alex Wellerstein, a nuclear analyst for the Stevens Institute of Technology, claims that if this same bomb were to be dropped on the city of London, over 300,000 lives would be lost and more than a million injured. It is apparent that nuclear proliferation poses a direct threat to NATO Members as well as the entire global community. As such, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recognizes the rising threat of nuclear proliferation as one of the greatest obstacles to peace and security in the global community. One of the first Member States to recognize the agreement, the United Kingdom ratified the NPT in November of 1968. As a nation that began nuclear production prior to the drafting of the treaty, the United Kingdom joined the NPT as a Nuclear Power State. However, the United Kingdom has been steadfast in its goal of nuclear reduction. The 2010-2015 Government Policy on Nuclear Disarmament witnessed the legislative goals of reducing the United Kingdom’s arsenal of nuclear weapons to no more than 225 warheads. This policy also hopes to achieve a resolute amount of 120 operational warheads by 2025. Furthermore, the United Kingdom’s Strategic Defense Review calls for nuclear weapons to no longer be transported by air and only in ballistic missile submarines as part of the Trident Program. The United Kingdom is currently working on innovating and safeguarding its nuclear defenses. In 2016, the Government of the Day voted to replace the nuclear-carrying submarines with more efficient and advanced technology. With better technology and infrastructure, The United Kingdom intends to model smarter and cognizant behavior on how to utilize nuclear weapons. As a member of NATO, the United Kingdom understands the importance of nuclear deterrence as a means of achieving peace and security. With the possibility of more nuclear threats from state and non-state actors such as the DPRK or Daesh, the United Kingdom and NATO are determined to protect its security and defense. As such, the United Kingdom has made multilateral efforts to curb the potential misuse of nuclear capabilities. A member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the United Kingdom works tirelessly to prevent exported nuclear technologies from entering the hands of proliferators. Overseen by the European Commission, the NSG includes 48 Member States that are steadfast in the goal in fostering the proper use of nuclear technologies. The United Kingdom is also a member of the Zangger Committee, which involves the collaboration of 39 Member States to carry out the mission of transparency in the use nuclear materials. Members of this international committee unite the support of the NPT and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to detect the potential harmful use of nuclear materials. Through its collaboration within the United Nations and international committees, the United Kingdom has helped bring reform to the divisive world of nuclear weapons. In 2015, the United Kingdom partnered with the permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), the European Union, Germany, and Iran to enact the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that introduced several sanctions and provisions upon the government of Iran for their lack of cooperation with international standards on the use of nuclear capabilities set forth by the IAEA. The United Kingdom is determined to be cognizant stewards of its nuclear capabilities, introduce change domestically and internationally, as well as take action on those opposing the global community. The global community can be instantly devastated by the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The United Kingdom stands by the principles of the NPT and the IAEA that promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology and the gradual reduction in nuclear weapons. The United Kingdom praises the efforts that have been made by the NSG, the Zangger Committee, and the UNSC to combat nuclear proliferation. The United Kingdom calls upon Member States to adhere to the NPT and halt unnecessary advancements to their nuclear programs. The United Kingdom condemns the offensive use of nuclear weapons as it encourages peaceful relationships amongst Member States. The United Kingdom recommends that Member States develop nuclear technologies only for peaceful purposes and reduce their total amount of nuclear weapons. Finally, the United Kingdom encourages stewardship of smarter defense practices that can be more safely and efficiently handled than that of nuclear weapons. II. Cyber-Defense The global community has become greatly immersed in cyber technology. With over three billion people accessing the internet, nearly half of the global population is susceptible to a cyber attack. With no official definition for cybercrime, cyber-defense is the efforts of preventing any attacks on the cyber infrastructure, technologies, or the users of these elements. Cybercrime has not only affected Member States of the United Nations, but also members of NATO. In 2016, cyber attacks successfully infiltrated the democratic, political institutions of the United States prior to their presidential election. In the same year, foreign hackers lodged successful, cyber attacks on political institutions in France, as well. Member states throughout the world were affected by the “WannaCry” cyber attack that involved most nations in the world. The cyber world is the new platform for attackers to disrupt democracy, peace, and security. NATO and its Member States should take the required measures to bolster its cyber defenses and prepare for this new stage of warfare. As we delay our efforts to protect our technologies, our adversaries are simply beginning their attacks. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is committed to establishing itself as the safest place in the world to be online. In 2016, the United Kingdom created the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) under the department of Government Communications Headquarters to protect the cyber infrastructures, citizens, and cyber merchants of the United Kingdom. The NCSC serves as an intra-governmental agency that detects and resolves attacks on cyber infrastructures and consumers. In 2016, the NCSC resolved nearly 600 cyber-attacks that were deemed to be significant by the government. We have worked tirelessly to limit the amount of time that cyber- attacks can transpire on our internet servers by mitigating the average time of phishing attacks from 27 hours to 1 hour. Internationally, the United Kingdom has taken the lead on resolving international incidences of cyber-crime. In the May 2016 “WannaCry” incident that involved the spread of malicious spyware that affected over a hundred nations, the NCSC provided endless support to those affected by instating relief in the form of advanced software, vulnerability detection, and other technological support. The United Kingdom is not only interested in reacting to times of cyber-crisis, but being proactive in its capabilities. In the past year, the United Kingdom has instituted a swath of protocols and programs for the betterment of our cyber-defenses. The Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CiSP) is an initiative between the United Kingdom’s public and private sectors to pool critical information necessary to mitigate the risk of cyber-crime. In the past year, participation in the CiSP amongst individuals and privates businesses have soared reaching levels of a 60 percent increase. The NCSC has also fostered multilateral agreements with the European Council and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to bolster their cyber defense strategies and resources. The NCSC has pledged to commit itself to the goals of cyber defense of NATO. In February of this year, the NCSC Director issued a Memorandum of Understanding with NATO to develop stronger resource sharing, cyber technologies, and other collaborative efforts to deter cyber-crime. The United Kingdom’s NCSC not only develops strategies to eradicate cyber-crime, but also strives to enrich the minds of future cyber-technology experts. The United Kingdom hosts the CyberUK and CyberFirst conferences to foster better understanding and professional development in the cyber technology community. The CyberUK Conference is an international conference that fosters engagement in cyber technology and promoting better practices in the industry. The CyberFirst Program targets young men and women to engage in the fields of cyber- technology. Through these initiatives, the United Kingdom is preparing thousands of young adults to fight for good in the battle against cyber crime. The United Kingdom is determined in this holistic approach to develop a positive future in cyber-technology by cultivating a future of cyber-technology professionals to the advancement of collaborative defense strategies. With a global community rapidly becoming more reliant upon cyber-technologies, we are becoming more vulnerable to targeted attacks on our infrastructures, businesses, and citizens. The United Kingdom understands this threat and believes it is leading the global community in the areas of cyber-defense. The United Kingdom recommends Member States to follow the policy guidance of the National Cyber Security Centre. The United Kingdom calls upon Member States to engage in resource-sharing partnerships to prevent and deter future instances of cyber-crime. The United Kingdom encourages Member States to develop their own institutions specifically aimed at cyber-defense. Finally, the United Kingdom recommends that Member States develop educational opportunities to produce a future generation of positive, cyber technology.