Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc

NTI IS A NONPARTISAN NONPROFIT GLOBAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON REDUCING NUCLEAR AND BIOLOGICAL THREATS IMPERILING HUMANITY.

BIOLOGICAL POLICY AND PROGRAMS (BIO). IN 2021, NTI | BIO CONTINUED TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT COVID-19 PRESENTED TO MAKE LASTING, SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN OUR COLLECTIVE ABILITY TO REDUCE BIOLOGICAL RISKS, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE NEXT PANDEMIC MAY BE THE RESULT OF HUMAN ACTION WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS. NTI | BIO CONTINUED TO CHAMPION TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS KEY FACTORS OF GLOBAL REFORM EFFORTS IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19. IN LATE 2021 THE NTI | BIO TEAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY AND ECONOMIST IMPACT, RELEASED THE SECOND ITERATION OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY (GHS) INDEX DURING A VIRTUAL EVENT THAT ATTRACTED NEARLY 1,000 PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE, INCLUDING WEBSITE VISITORS FROM 114 COUNTRIES. THE GHS INDEX REVEALED THAT DESPITE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS TO BATTLE THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, ALL COUNTRIES-ACROSS ALL INCOME LEVELS-REMAIN DANGEROUSLY UNPREPARED TO MEET FUTURE PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC THREATS. MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE INDEX INCLUDED ARTICLES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE WASHINGTON POST, IN ADDITION TO COVERAGE ACROSS DOZENS OF COUNTRIES FROM KENYA TO INDIA TO RUSSIA. AS THE WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD WROTE, THE FINDINGS OF THE 2021 GHS INDEX SHOULD SERVE AS "A WARNING NOT TO FALL BACK ON THE CYCLES OF PANIC AND NEGLECT THAT LEFT THE WORLD SO VULNERABLE LAST TIME." NTI | BIO ADVANCED ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE GLOBAL CATASTROPHIC BIOLOGICAL RISKS (GCBRS), WHICH ARE BIOLOGICAL RISKS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE-SCALE, POTENTIALLY POPULATION-WIDE OR EXISTENTIAL, OUTCOMES. IN MARCH 2021, NTI | BIO PARTNERED WITH THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE TO HOST A VIRTUAL HIGH-LEVEL FACILITATED TABLETOP EXERCISE ON REDUCING HIGH-CONSEQUENCE BIOLOGICAL THREATS. EXERCISE DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE GLOBAL CAPABILITIES TO CONDUCT COORDINATED, TIMELY RESPONSES TO EMERGING PANDEMICS AND TO STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT OF EMERGING BIOLOGICAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES. AS AN OUTCOME, NTI | BIO, IN COLLABORATION WITH SAM NUNN DISTINGUISHED FELLOW ANGELA KANE, CONVENED A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS TO ENGAGE GLOBAL EXPERTS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT A NEW JOINT ASSESSMENT MECHANISM TO ASSESS HIGH-CONSEQUENCE BIOLOGICAL EVENTS OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. NTI | BIO MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BIOTECHNOLOGY CATASTROPHE BY SAFEGUARDING ADVANCES IN BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH AND BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. THE TOP PRIORITY FOR OUR WORK IN THIS AREA IS TO ESTABLISH A DEDICATED INTERNATIONAL ENTITY TO REDUCE BIOTECHNOLOGY RISKS AND PROMOTE BIOSECURITY NORMS - THE INTERNATIONAL BIOSECURITY AND BIOSAFETY INITIATIVE FOR SCIENCE (IBBIS). IN 2021, NTI | BIO SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED A DIVERSE STEERING GROUP COMPOSED OF MORE THAN 15 EXPERTS FROM INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH COMMUNITY, PHILANTHROPY, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY. LEVERAGING FEEDBACK FROM THIS STEERING GROUP, NTI | BIO DEVELOPED A SCOPING STUDY FOR IBBIS TO DEFINE KEY ATTRIBUTES OF THE ORGANIZATION. ADDITIONALLY, NTI | BIO, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, CONVENED AN INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONSORTIUM-WHICH INCLUDES EXTENSIVE INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION-TO ADVISE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A PROTOTYPE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMON MECHANISM FOR DNA SYNTHESIS SCREENING. NTI | BIO IS ON TRACK TO LAUNCH BOTH IBBIS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMON MECHANISM FOR DNA SYNTHESIS SCREENING IN 2022. INITIALLY, IBBIS WILL HAVE A NARROW SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES, FOCUSING ON DNA SYNTHESIS SCREENING, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ENTITY CAN EXPAND ITS ACTIVITIES OVER TIME TO ADDRESS KEY VULNERABILITIES THROUGHOUT THE BIOSCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMERCIALIZATION LIFECYCLES. IN 2021, NTI | BIO CONTINUED TO CATALYZE CONCRETE ACTIONS BY GOVERNMENTS AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR CAPABILITIES TO PREVENT DELIBERATE AND ACCIDENTAL BIOLOGICAL EVENTS. IN FEBRUARY 2021, NTI HOSTED A VIRTUAL GLOBAL BIOSECURITY DIALOGUE AS A SERIES OF MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS FOR SUSTAINING ATTENTION AND ACCELERATING ACTION TO ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL BIOSECURITY. MORE THAN 170 EXPERTS FROM 38 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE DISCUSSIONS. BY THE END OF THE MEETING, PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN, EUROPE, THE UK, AND THE MIDDLE EAST PLEDGED TO TAKE 13 NEW ACTIONS TO ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL BIOSECURITY CAPABILITIES. BUILDING ON THE NEW STRATEGIC FOCUS ON BIOSAFETY AND BIOSECURITY CHAMPIONED BY THE AFRICA CENTRES FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND CATALYZED BY NTI | BIO THROUGH THE GLOBAL BIOSECURITY DIALOGUE, THE G7 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHED ITS SIGNATURE INITIATIVE TO MITIGATE BIOLOGICAL THREATS IN AFRICA. THIS INITIATIVE WILL INCREASE INVESTMENT IN AFRICA CDC'S BIOSECURITY AND BIOSAFETY INITIATIVES, A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARD INSTITUTIONALIZING THIS REGIONAL BIOSECURITY MODEL. NTI IS SEEKING TO USE THIS MODEL AS A CASE STUDY THAT MAY BE EXPORTABLE TO OTHER GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS TO ADDRESS THEIR BIOSAFETY AND BIOSECURITY VULNERABILITIES. THROUGH NTI | BIO AND OUR PARTNERS' ADVOCACY EFFORTS IN 2021, THE GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY FUND CONCEPT, WHICH NTI INITIALLY CATALYZED IN MARCH 2020, MADE IMPORTANT PROGRESS. THE PROPOSED FUND, KNOWN AS THE FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY FUND, WOULD DRAW TOGETHER RESOURCES FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES TO CATALYZE DOMESTIC INVESTMENT IN HEALTH SECURITY, DRIVING RESOURCES AND ATTENTION TO THE COUNTRIES THAT NEED IT MOST AND SUSTAINING THE INVESTMENTS BY BUILDING THEM INTO NATIONAL BUDGETS. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IDENTIFIED THE FUND AS A NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITY IN NATIONAL SECURITY MEMORANDUM-1. THE FUND ALSO ENJOYS SIGNIFICANT CIVIL SOCIETY SUPPORT AND GROWING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT AS PART OF ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ON POST-COVID-19 RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS. IN 2021, NTI | BIO LAUNCHED ITS FIFTH ANNUAL ITERATION OF THE NEXT GENERATION FOR BIOSECURITY COMPETITION WHICH SEEKS TO FOSTER EMERGING LEADERS IN BIOSECURITY. THE COMPETITION CALLED FOR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PAPERS TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING PROMPT: "WHAT LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH SHOULD NOT BE CONDUCTED, IF ANY? SHOULD RED LINES IN LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH BE DRAWN? IF SO, BY WHOM?". IN TOTAL, EIGHT SUBMISSIONS WERE SUBMITTED BY ENTRANTS FROM 13 COUNTRIES INCLUDING BELGIUM, BRAZIL, CANADA, CZECHIA, DENMARK, FRANCE, HONG KONG, INDIA, MEXICO, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, UGANDA, AND THE UNITED STATES. OUR PANEL OF INTERNATIONAL JUDGES SELECTED A PAPER-"TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE GENOMIC SURVEILLANCE: A REVIEW OF BIOSECURITY AND DUAL-USE REGULATION"-AS THE WINNING SUBMISSION. MEMBERS FROM THE WINNING TEAM COME FROM BELGIUM, UGANDA, AND THE UNITED STATES. THEIR PAPER WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE, AND THE TEAM PRESENTED DURING A SIDE-EVENT AT THE 2021 BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION MEETING OF STATES PARTIES.

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION: IN 2021, NTI WORKED ACROSS MULTIPLE FRONTS TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND DEMAND LEADERS TAKE ACTION TO ADDRESS TODAY'S EVOLVING AND ESCALATING NUCLEAR AND BIOLOGICAL THREATS. BUILDING ON FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH THAT CONFIRMED A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT'S POSSIBLE TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARD THAT GOAL, NTI LAUNCH MULTIPLE CAMPAIGNS TO BUILD POLITICAL WILL AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. IN AUGUST, AS THE SUMMER OLYMPICS CLOSED IN JAPAN AND ON THE ANNIVERSARIES OF THE ATOMIC BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, WE LAUNCHED #CRANESFOROURFUTURE TO HONOR THE VICTIMS AND SHARE A MESSAGE OF PEACE AND HOPE. PARTNERING WITH THE HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE, NAGASAKI PREFECTURE, AND THE HIROSHIMA ORGANIZATION FOR GLOBAL PEACE ON A GLOBAL WEEKEND OF ACTION, WE ASKED ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES, AND INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE A WISH FOR OUR COMMON FUTURE BY FOLDING AN ORIGAMI CRANE AND SHARING A PHOTO OF IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING THE HASHTAG #CRANESFOROURFUTURE. THOUSANDS PARTICIPATED TO COLLECTIVELY REACH MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD. AMONG THEM: MORE THAN 30 ORGANIZATIONS, EMBASSIES IN JAPAN, AND A HOST OF PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS. IN ADDITION, HUNDREDS OF CONTENT CREATORS ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TIKTOK USED THE HASHTAG AND OUR CUSTOM CRANE STICKER IN VIDEOS THAT WERE VIEWED MORE THAN SIX MILLION TIMES. PREVENTING THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS: TO BUILD ON NTI'S ADVOCACY TO SECURE THE REAFFIRMATION BY NUCLEAR-WEAPON STATES OF THE REAGAN-GORBACHEV DECLARATION THAT "A NUCLEAR WAR CANNOT BE WON AND MUST NEVER BE FOUGHT," NTI AND PARTNERS ACTIVATED ALLIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AROUND THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE '85 GENEVA SUMMIT WHERE THE DECLARATION WAS FIRST MADE. THE #REAFFIRMOURFUTURE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN WAS JOINED BY SCORES OF SECURITY EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO SHARED GRAPHICS, VIDEOS, AND TWEETS WE PROVIDED, INCLUDING THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF DISARMAMENT AFFAIRS. TARGETED OFFICIALS SAW THE CONTENT, AND MANY ENGAGED. ULTIMATELY, 2022 BEGAN WITH THE FIRST EVER JOINT STATEMENT BY CHINA, FRANCE, RUSSIA, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE UNITED STATES THAT "A NUCLEAR WAR CANNOT BE WON AND MUST NEVER BE FOUGHT." ENHANCING GLOBAL BIOSECURITY: COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORTED NTI | BIO IN ITS ONGOING RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IN RELEASING THE SECOND EDITION OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY (GHS) INDEX. IN ADDITION TO PRODUCING THE REPORT WITH ITS 195 COUNTRY PROFILES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING FUTURE PANDEMICS, COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCED A NEW PROMOTIONAL VIDEO, UPDATED THE GHS INDEX WEBSITE, AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE 90-MINUTE VIRTUAL LAUNCH THAT DREW MORE THAN 1,000 PARTICIPANTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE EVENT RESULTED IN 3,566 FIRST-DAY VISITORS TO THE GHS INDEX WEBSITE FROM 144 COUNTRIES. MEDIA COVERAGE INCLUDED STORIES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE WASHINGTON POST, IN ADDITION TO ARTICLES AND TV NEWS COVERAGE ACROSS DOZENS OF COUNTRIES FROM KENYA TO INDIA TO RUSSIA. AS THE WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD WROTE, THE 2021 FINDINGS SHOULD SERVE AS "A WARNING NOT TO FALL BACK ON THE CYCLES OF PANIC AND NEGLECT THAT LEFT THE WORLD SO VULNERABLE LAST TIME." COMMUNICATIONS ALSO SUPPORTED NTI | BIO'S THIRD ANNUAL TABLETOP EXERCISE TO ADDRESS GLOBAL BIOLOGICAL RISKS, HELD VIRTUALLY DURING THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE, DEVELOPING "NEWS" VIDEOS FOR THE FICTIONAL SCENARIO ADDRESSED BY SENIOR LEASERS AND PRODUCING A REPORT ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE EVENT. NTI.ORG: 2021 ALSO BROUGHT THE DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH OF AN UPDATED NTI WEBSITE WITH A NEW LOOK-AND-FEEL, IMPROVED FUNCTIONALITY, AND IMPORTANT SECURITY UPGRADES. EVENTS: IN ADDITION TO DOZENS OF OTHER EVENTS BY NTI EXPERTS, COMMUNICATIONS IN 2021 SUPPORTED A TED-TALK-STYLE PRESENTATION TO THE EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM GLOBAL LONDON CONFERENCE BY NTI PRESIDENT AND COO JOAN ROHLFING ON REDUCING NUCLEAR THREATS AND BUILDING A SAFER WORLD. "THIS IS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR GENERATIONAL STEWARDSHIP AND CAN CREATE A SECURITY SYSTEM THAT IS NOT PREMISED ON THE MASS ELIMINATION OF HUMANITY, BUT ONE THAT EMBRACES PROVIDING FOR A LONG-TERM FUTURE," ROHLFING TOLD THE CONFERENCE. "WE'RE AT A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE WITH A BUSINESS-AS-USUAL APPROACH AND WATCH THE RISK INCREASE OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO BUILD A WORLD THAT EXTENDS THE LONG-TERM POTENTIAL FOR HUMANITY AND ENABLES US TO FLOURISH. I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME ON THAT JOURNEY."

MATERIALS RISK MINIMIZATION PROGRAM (MRM).IN 2021, MRM FOCUSED ITS EFFORTS ON STRENGTHENING THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR SECURITY SYSTEM BY TRACKING NUCLEAR SECURITY PROGRESS; CONVENING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, AND EXPERTS IN UNOFFICIAL FORUMS; AND PROMOTING ACTIONS TO STRENGTHEN KEY NUCLEAR SECURITY MECHANISMS. IN EARLY 2021, NTI BEGAN WORK ON THE SIXTH EDITION OF THE NUCLEAR SECURITY INDEX (NTI INDEX), A ONE-OF-A-KIND ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR SECURITY CONDITIONS AROUND THE WORLD, WITH PLANS FOR A LAUNCH IN MID-2023. THE NTI INDEX USES PUBLIC INFORMATION TO TRACK COUNTRY-LEVEL PROGRESS ON NUCLEAR SECURITY AND RECOMMENDS ACTIONS FOR GOVERNMENTS TO PROTECT NUCLEAR MATERIALS AND FACILITIES AND TO STRENGTHEN THE GLOBAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ARCHITECTURE. IT ASSESSES ACTIONS IN 22 COUNTRIES TO PROTECT NUCLEAR MATERIALS AGAINST THEFT, ACTIONS IN 46 COUNTRIES AND TAIWAN TO PROTECT NUCLEAR MATERIALS AGAINST SABOTAGE, AND ACTIONS IN 153 COUNTRIES AND TAIWAN TO SUPPORT GLOBAL NUCLEAR SECURITY EFFORTS. THE 2023 NTI INDEX WILL AGAIN CONTAIN A RADIOACTIVE SOURCE SECURITY ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS THE ONLY PUBLIC ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL RADIOLOGICAL SECURITY. THE RADIOACTIVE SOURCE SECURITY ASSESSMENT ASSESSES THE NATIONAL POLICIES, COMMITMENTS, AND ACTIONS TO SECURE RADIOACTIVE SOURCES AND PREVENT A DIRTY BOMB IN 175 COUNTRIES AND TAIWAN. THE NTI INDEX CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR GOVERNMENTS TO REVIEW THEIR OWN PERFORMANCE AND IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT, AS WELL AS TO IDENTIFY AND VALIDATE THE USE OF AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE RESOURCES. IN 2021, NTI HOSTED TWO MEETINGS OF THE GLOBAL DIALOGUE ON NUCLEAR SECURITY PRIORITIES. THE FIRST WAS A VIRTUAL DISCUSSION IN MARCH AND THE SECOND WAS A HYBRID MEETING IN DECEMBER, WITH SELECT PARTICIPANTS MEETING IN FRANCE. THE GLOBAL DIALOGUE BRINGS TOGETHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, NUCLEAR INDUSTRY, AND NON-GOVERNMENT EXPERTS TO DEVELOP UNIQUE AND CREATIVE APPROACHES TO THE MOST PRESSING NUCLEAR SECURITY CHALLENGES. PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, HAVE CONSISTENTLY SAID THAT THE GLOBAL DIALOGUE IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE PLATFORMS FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY DIALOGUE, AND IDEAS GENERATED AT GLOBAL DIALOGUE MEETINGS HAVE DIRECTLY INFLUENCED OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT POLICY. AN EXAMPLE OF REAL-WORLD RESULTS HAS BEEN NTI'S MULTI-YEAR EFFORT TO PROMOTE A ROBUST, SUBSTANTIVE REVIEW CONFERENCE FOR THE AMENDED CONVENTION ON THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL (CPPNM/A), THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL TREATY THAT REQUIRES COUNTRIES TO PROTECT NUCLEAR MATERIALS AND FACILITIES. AS A CONTINUATION OF NTI'S EFFORT TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR A STRONG, EFFECTIVE, AND SUSTAINABLE TREATY REGIME THROUGH REGULAR REVIEW CONFERENCES, NTI HOSTED SIX VIRTUAL REGIONAL WORKSHOPS IN 2021, ENGAGING WITH MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, ASIA, AND LATIN AMERICA. THESE DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON THE MAIN ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING FOR THE FIRST-EVER REVIEW CONFERENCE IN MARCH 2022. THESE EFFORTS HAVE HELPED TO INFLUENCE OFFICIAL DELIBERATIONS AND SPURRED COUNTRIES TO COMPLETE SPECIFIC STEPS REQUIRED BY THE TREATY. IN NOVEMBER 2021, MRM CO-SPONSORED A VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN NTI AND THE MOSCOW-BASED CENTER FOR ENERGY AND SECURITY STUDIES ON PROSPECTIVE U.S.-RUSSIAN COOPERATION ON PEACEFUL NUCLEAR USES. THE 2021 DIALOGUE FOCUSED ON HIGHLIGHTING THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN THE AREA OF NONPROLIFERATION AND NUCLEAR SECURITY AS WELL AS A DISCUSSION ON THE PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR CIVILIAN NUCLEAR COOPERATION. THE NTI-CENESS DIALOGUE SERVES AS A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN U.S. AND RUSSIAN NUCLEAR EXPERTS AT A TIME WHEN MOST OFFICIAL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION ARE FROZEN ON THESE TOPICS. THROUGHOUT 2021, MRM CONTINUED TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO MAKE GENDER EQUITY A WORKING REALITY THROUGH THE GENDER CHAMPIONS IN NUCLEAR POLICY (GCNP). GCNP IS A LEADERSHIP NETWORK OF HEADS OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO BECOME GENDER CHAMPIONS BY PLEDGING TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUITY WITHIN THEIR SPHERES OF INFLUENCE. THIS NETWORK GREW TO A MEMBERSHIP OF OVER 70 ORGANIZATIONS BY THE END OF 2021. MEMBERS INCLUDE LOS ALAMOS, IDAHO, AND SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES, THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK, AND MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS DOZENS OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE SECTOR COMPANIES. THE INITIATIVE CONDUCTS ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORTING ON ITS MEMBERS' PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING COMMITMENTS TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUITY. IN 2021 MORE THAN 60% OF COMMITMENTS WERE SUCCESSFUL FOR A SECOND YEAR RUNNING.