ONN Announces Engagement Network Members

Open Nuclear Network (ONN) is excited to introduce the members of its Engagement Network (EN) to a broader audience. During the past year, ONN has worked to establish close working relationships with esteemed former senior officials and experts from China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, all committed to working together with ONN on the focused mission of nuclear risk reduction on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader Northeast Asia region.

ONN’s Engagement Network is a global team of high-level trusted and credible individuals who have knowledge, experience and access to decision-makers in their respective countries. It is ONN’s great privilege to present the following esteemed members:

• General Evgeny Buzhinskiy
• Ambassador Chun Yungwoo
• Suzanne DiMaggio
• Robert J. Einhorn
• Secretary-General Li Chijiang
• Professor Moon Chung-in
• Dr. Suzuki Tatsujiro
• Ambassador Takamizawa Nobushige
• Dr. Zhao Tong.

More on each member’s background and expertise can be found in the Engagement Network section of the ONN website.

ONN’s Engagement Network is one of the two pillars of the programme’s approach to nuclear risk reduction. Its principal role is to work closely with ONN to identify topics for focused analyses and to create strategies for engaging decision-makers in the six countries most closely involved in matters related to the Korean Peninsula.

ONN’s Director Laura Rockwood expressed hope that the Network will continue to grow and include representatives from all six target countries: “Each one of the members brings something special to the table, whether it is experience in their respective diplomatic corps or military or highly regarded expertise. We are hoping that the Network will ultimately include members from all six of the relevant countries. Securing North Korean membership may be a bit more challenging, but we remain committed to doing so.”

ONN convened an inaugural meeting of the Engagement Network members in September 2020. During this introductory gathering, the ONN team presented a report on its Nuclear Risk Reduction Approach for the Korean Peninsula. In January 2021, ONN hosted an Engagement Network Retreat, the first of what will become an annual event. The two-day meeting, which due to COVID-19 restrictions was conducted in an online format, brought together the members from around the globe to discuss ONN’s operational matters and exchange views on the best approaches to re-engagement in constructive dialogue.

It is ONN’s sincere hope that the mutually beneficial nexus between its Engagement Network members’ expertise and ONN’s analytical capabilities will contribute to the de-escalation of conflict and nuclear risk reduction on the Korean Peninsula.