WASHINGTON, DC, March 23, 2015 Former British Secretary of Defense Lord Desmond Browne and distinguished Russian diplomat Ambassador Igor S. Ivanov will share the secondNunn-Lugar Award for Promoting Nuclear Security. The international award was established in honor of former U.S. Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar and recognizes individuals and institutions whose work is helping to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to reduce the risk of their use.
Lord Browne served as the United Kingdom’s Secretary of Defense and as Secretary of State for Scotland. He is chairman of the European Leadership Network and vice chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). His colleague, Ambassador Ivanov, serves on the same two boards and is also president of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC). He is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and was Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Both honorees are known for their leadership roles in promoting cooperation and stability, especially in Europe, Russia, and the United States.
The award is cosponsored by the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York and the think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It was presented during the Carnegie Endowment’s 2015 International Nuclear Policy Conference in Washington, DC.
“To become a recipient of the Nunn-Lugar Award is a source of both honor and inspiration,” said Ambassador Ivanov in response the recognition. “Sam Nunn and Dick Lugar stand out as remarkable examples of vision, energy and an uncompromised commitment to the cause of nuclear security and international peace. This noble cause remains today as important as ever before.”
Lord Browne commented, saying, “I am delighted and honored to receive the Nunn-Lugar award alongside my friend and colleague Igor Ivanov and am grateful to the leaders of Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for their unwavering commitment to peace and security. I share this award with the men and women –– inside and outside of government –– who work tirelessly every day on the difficult and important work of reducing nuclear dangers globally.”
Senators Nunn and Lugar presented the award. It was established in their honor, and in 2012 they became the first recipients. The senators were recognized for their groundbreaking program that provided assistance to Russia and the former Soviet republics in securing and destroying their excess weapons of mass destruction. The two Carnegie institutions created the award to serve as a tribute to their founder Andrew Carnegie, who was deeply committed to the goal of achieving world peace.
“Lord Browne and Ambassador Ivanov are renowned diplomats who have earned this distinguished recognition,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation. “Throughout their careers, they have been tireless proponents of nuclear security, dedicating their lives to building a safer and more integrated international community. We are all indebted to them for their invaluable leadership, vision, and unstinting efforts in the name of world peace.”
“Des Browne and Igor Ivanov are fitting recipients of the second Nunn-Lugar Award,” Carnegie Endowment president William J. Burns remarked. “Through their shared and unwavering commitment to building a stronger and more sustainable global nuclear order, they have made a profound contribution to international security. And through their partnership, they have offered a timely reminder of the value of international dialogue and cooperation. “
After serving as the UK’s Secretary of Defense, Lord Browne founded and remains a member of the Top Level Group of Parliamentarians for Multi-Lateral Nuclear Disarmament and Non-proliferation, which consists of current and former British officials. He has been the convener of the European Leadership Network –– an organization dedicated to engaging European leaders in addressing the region’s defense and security challenges — since its inception. At NTI, Lord Browne provides strategic direction on issues such as international outreach and increased public awareness about the dangers posed by nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
Ambassador Ivanov holds the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and has taken part in several U.N. General Assembly sessions, many international conferences, and, notably, co-chaired the Bosnia settlement talks in Dayton, Ohio. In 2012 Ambassador Ivanov co-chaired the Carnegie Endowment’s Euro-Atlantic Security Initiative, which issued a report warning that new military and political strategies were needed for the Euro-Atlantic region to prevent instability and a breakdown in security. He is a professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations and has written numerous books and articles on the history of Russian foreign affairs and foreign policy.
The honorees will share a $50,000 cash prize. Lord Browne is contributing his half to NTI, and Ambassador Ivanov is making a gift to RIAC in support of its work to restore trust in Europe.
The award was presented at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference — a two day event that brings together over 800 experts and officials from more than 45 countries and international organizations to discuss emerging trends in nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament, deterrence, and nuclear energy.
About the Award
The Nunn-Lugar Award for Promoting Nuclear Security is awarded biennially by Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to individuals or institutions whose work has resulted in clear, discernible progress toward strengthening global security and peaceful co-existence among nations, by preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and reducing the risk of their use. The award is a tribute to Andrew Carnegie, who dedicated much of his philanthropy to the goal of achieving world peace. The award carries a $50,000 prize.
About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.
About the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a unique global network of policy research centers in Russia, China, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Its mission, dating back more than a century, is to advance the cause of peace through analysis and development of fresh policy ideas and direct engagement and collaboration with decision makers in government, business, and civil society.
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