Paper
There is an urgent need to strengthen the relevant international legal frameworks if they are to protect against threats to use nuclear weapons.
Anna Hood, Monique Cormier
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"Anna Hood",
"George Perkovich",
"Marianne Hanson",
"Carrie McDougall",
"Paul Davis",
"Kazuko Hikawa",
"Andy Shichen Tian",
"Peter Hayes"
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"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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"programs": [
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"topics": [
"Arms Control",
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Event
Nuclear Threats and the Limits of International Law
Mon, February 23rd, 2026
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (EST)
Live Online
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From the early days of the Cold War to contemporary conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, institutions like the United Nations have struggled to utilize international law to address nuclear threats. Can international law provide guidance and leverage in defining and dealing with such threats? Or does the ambiguity that nearly always surrounds manipulations of nuclear fear make law largely irrelevant?
Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program, the Nautilus Institute, and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network are publishing four major papers that address these and other questions involved in assessing and responding to nuclear ‘threats.’ From this series, "‘All Options are on the Table’: Assessing the International Legality of Nuclear Threats," by Monique Cormier and Anna Hood, surveys historical cases spanning eight decades and recent developments, showing there is an urgent need to strengthen the relevant international legal frameworks to protect against threats to use nuclear weapons.
Join Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program for a discussion of these findings with the paper’s author Anna Hood and George Perkovich, author of “How to Assess Nuclear Threats in the 21st Century,” another paper in the series, moderated by Marianne Hanson. They will be joined by Carrie McDougall, Paul Davis, Kazuko Hikawa, and Dr. Captain (Retd.) Andy Shichen Tian for additional insights, with opening remarks provided by Peter Hayes, director of the Nautilus Institute.
‘All Options Are on the Table’: Assessing the International Legality of Nuclear Threats
Events in this Series
Bluff or Death? How to Assess Nuclear “Threats”
February 5, 2026
Nuclear Flashpoint? How Pakistan and India Manage Escalation
February 12, 2026
Nuclear Threats and the Limits of International Law
February 23, 2026
These events are presented in partnership with the Nautilus Institute and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Event Speakers
Anna Hood
Associate Professor, University of Auckland
Anna Hood is an associate professor at the University of Auckland. She is a public international law academic whose research focuses primarily on international disarmament law, international law and security, and the intersection between depth psychology and international law.
George Perkovich
Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, Senior Fellow
George Perkovich is the Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program. He works primarily on nuclear deterrence, nonproliferation, and disarmament issues, and is leading a study on nuclear signaling in the 21st century.
Marianne Hanson
Co-Chair, ICAN Australia
Marianne Hanson is the co-chair of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Australia and is an associate professor at the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland.
Carrie McDougall
Associate Professor, Melbourne Law School
Carrie McDougall is an associate professor at Melbourne Law School. She previously served as the Legal Adviser at Australia’s Mission to the United Nations in New York. She specializes in the use of force, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law.
Paul Davis
Adjunct Principal Researcher, RAND
Paul Davis is a retired senior principal researcher and adjunct at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. Before joining RAND, he was a senior executive in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
Kazuko Hikawa
Vice Director and Professor, Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University
Kazuko Hikawa is the vice director and professor at the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University in Japan. She is also an adjunct fellow of the Japan Institute of International Affairs and co-founder of World New Prosperity.
Andy Shichen Tian
Founder and President, Global Governance Institution
Captain (Retired) Andy Shichen Tian is the founder and president of the Global Governance Institution. Captain Tian served as the head of the Department of Crisis Management and Media Relations in China's Ministry of National Defense.
Peter Hayes
Director, Nautilus Institute
Peter Hayes is the director of the Nautilus Institute and professor at the Center for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney.