Statement by the EASLG: Three Essential Steps for Reversing the Slide to Nuclear War
Reducing and eliminating any nuclear risk that could lead to catastrophe is a common interest for all and an enduring responsibility for all nuclear-armed states.
Bio
Des Browne (Lord Browne of Ladyton) served as vice chair of NTI from 2014 through 2026. A member of the House of Lords from 2010 until his retirement in early 2026, Browne served as a Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010.
As a back-bencher, he served on the Northern Ireland Affairs and Public Administration Select Committees. In 1998, he became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Donald Dewar, Secretary of State for Scotland. In 2000, he became PPS to Adam Ingram, Minister of State for Northern Ireland. Subsequently, he served on the first Joint Committee on Human Rights.
In 2001, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. In 2003, Browne was promoted to Minister of State for Work at the Department for Work & Pensions and in 2004, he was appointed Minister for Immigration & Citizenship in the Home Office. Re-elected in 2005, he joined the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and was appointed to the Privy Council.
In 2006, he was appointed Secretary of State for Defence, and from 2007 to 2008, he combined this role with the role of Secretary of State for Scotland. In October 2008, he returned to the back-benches and was appointed Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Special Envoy to Sri Lanka. He also served on the first Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.
From October 2009 until March 2014, he was Convenor of the Top Level Group of Parliamentarians for Multi-Lateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation. He co-founded the European Leadership Network and has been the Chair of its Board of Trustees and Directors since its inception. In July 2010, he was introduced to the House of Lords.
Analysis
Statement by the EASLG: Shrinking the Zone of Confrontation and Competition: Principles for Euro-Atlantic Security and the Global Nuclear Order
The co-conveners and participants of the Euro-Atlantic Security Leadership Group call for the re-establishment of basic principles relating to security and nuclear order.
Statement by the EASLG: Advancing Global Nuclear “Fail-Safe”
EASLG leaders Des Browne, Wolfgang Ischinger, Igor Ivanov, Ernest J. Moniz, and Sam Nunn, along with 34 dignitaries from 12 countries, call for all nuclear-weapons states to conduct internal reviews of their nuclear command-and-control and weapons systems.
NTI Blogs
Nuclear Fail-Safe, and Space Security and Stability—Explained
Strengthening nuclear fail-safe measures and applying and adapting principles governing the use of outer space for peaceful purposes are essential to preventing nuclear use and maintaining strategic stability.
Reversing the Slide to Nuclear War—Explained
Sixty-four former officials, military leaders, and experts call on nuclear-armed states in every region to take steps to reduce the risk of nuclear use.