The James Martin 21st Century School - Blog

In a century of globalization, when the life of every individual is directly affected by a vast network of forces beyond their control, the concept of "Global Zero" has the power to inspire action on some of the most intractable problems of our time.

Hosted in association with the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, the seminar series on the theme of 'getting to zero' aimed to generate fresh insights on translating bold concepts into concrete action.

While some presentations in the series explored in-depth the concept of 'Global Zero' as it relates to the campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons, others considered what 'zero' would mean in a variety of fields, from weapons control and poverty, to disease and the environment.

The seminars covered a wide range of issues, but participants generally agreed that, despite the immense difficulties faced by any 'Global Zero' campaign, there could be tremendous value in working towards the total elimination of a particular threat. Many participants spoke of a new optimism about the potential to tackle problems that only a few decades ago would have seemed insurmountable: participants referred to President Obama's Prague speech on nuclear weapons, the current global campaign to eradicate polio, and a new sense of energy surrounding climate change negotiations.

David Rodin of the Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict commented: "I have been impressed by the practical lessons that have emerged about how an ambitious multi-lateral regulatory project can be advanced by a dedicated combination of NGOs, civil society and responsible State and regional organisations.  Successful campaigns often do not start with universal buy-in, but move forward with a core of participant States who are willing to sign up to a robust set of norms."

It was also highlighted that the real value of the 'Global Zero' concept was in its ability to breathe new life into campaigns on complex global problems. It is the very effort involved in 'getting to zero' that brings the real potential for positive change. While a 'Global Zero' on nuclear weapons would be an incredible achievement, there can be few who would argue that a world with fewer nuclear weapons, less pollution, less poverty and less disease would not be a better place.

The scale of the challenges involved in eradicating poverty, disease, pollution were fully acknowledged in the presentations, but many managed to offer practical solutions, often drawing inspiration from unrelated fields - from previous success in eliminating smallpox and banning the use of landmines and chemical weapons, or from progress made in the original 'Global Zero' campaign itself. Ultimately, the most important lesson to arise from this fascinating series was: when dealing with complex global challenges, look for inspiration beyond your immediate field of expertise.

For more information on individual seminars, please read previous seminar summaries on this blog. You can also listen to podcasts of individual lectures below:

• Global Eradication of Infectious Diseases: Can 'Not Very Much' undermine the goal of 'None at All'?
• A New Approach to Nuclear Disarmament: Learning from International Humanitarian Law Success
• Dealing with doctrines: time to outlaw nuclear weapon use?
• Bottom billion or bottom zero? Policies for international poverty reduction
• Eliminating Nuclear Weapons
• Zero Chance? Aiming for zero in Weapons Control