Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins on Arms Control, Nonproliferation and Security

Weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) – nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological weapons – remain some of the gravest threats to global stability. Yet much of the most important work to contain these dangers happens far from the headlines, in diplomatic conference rooms, laboratories, and remote facilities where old weapons are secured or destroyed. Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins has spent her career at the center of this effort, while also reshaping who gets to participate in decisions about peace and security.

This article uses her career as a lens to explore how modern arms control and nonproliferation work, why they matter, and how a more diverse security community can create better policy for everyone.

Who Is Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins?

Ambassador Jenkins is one of the leading U.S. experts on arms control, nonproliferation, and WMD threat reduction. Her path illustrates how legal training, military service, diplomacy, and philanthropy can come together to advance peace and security.

• Senior U.S. official: She served as the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, overseeing key bureaus responsible for arms control, international security, and political-military affairs.
• WMD threat reduction leader: For nearly eight years under President Obama, she was Ambassador and Special Envoy coordinating U.S. threat reduction programs aimed at preventing terrorists and hostile states from acquiring WMD materials.
• Champion for inclusion: She founded Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) to address the underrepresentation of women of color in peace and security fields.
• Academic and educator: She has taught at multiple universities and led simulations and training on arms control and international security.

Her trajectory shows that high-impact work on global risk can combine technical expertise with institution-building and mentorship.

Understanding the Core Concepts: Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament

To understand Jenkins’ work, it helps to clarify three related but distinct concepts that anchor the global WMD regime.

Modern practice often groups these under a broader umbrella of cooperative threat reduction, which emphasizes collaboration among countries to identify and secure dangerous materials, knowledge, and infrastructure.

From Legal Adviser to Under Secretary: A Career Spanning the WMD Agenda

Jenkins’ journey illustrates how long-term engagement is essential in arms control, where negotiations and implementation can stretch across decades.

Early Work and Legal Foundations

Jenkins began her federal career as a legal adviser at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, working on the legal frameworks that underpin arms control treaties and agreements. This foundation in international law and treaty compliance later helped her guide complex negotiations and verification mechanisms.

Cooperative Threat Reduction in the Obama Administration

From 2009 to 2017, Jenkins served as Ambassador and Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State. In that role, she:

• Coordinated U.S. government efforts to prevent terrorists and other non-state actors from acquiring nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.
• Worked with programs funded across multiple U.S. departments and with partner countries to secure dangerous materials, improve export controls, and enhance detection and response.
• Represented the United States in the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, an international initiative launched after the 2002 G8 summit to address WMD threats worldwide.
• Was a lead U.S. official for the Nuclear Security Summits, a series of high-level meetings that pushed states to secure nuclear materials and strengthen the global nuclear security architecture.

This work was deeply operational: not just writing agreements, but ensuring that security upgrades were installed, border officials were trained, and dangerous materials were identified and protected.

Leadership as Under Secretary of State

In 2021, Jenkins became the first African American to serve as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. In this role, she oversaw three major bureaus:

• Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability – focused on strategic stability, nuclear arms control, and risk reduction among major powers.
• International Security and Nonproliferation – addressing nuclear, chemical, and biological proliferation risks globally.
• Political-Military Affairs – managing security assistance, defense trade, and military-to-military ties.

She also served as the State Department lead on implementing the AUKUS security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which includes sensitive decisions around nuclear-powered submarines and advanced defense technologies.

Why Cooperative Threat Reduction Still Matters

After the Cold War, cooperative threat reduction (CTR) programs focused heavily on securing and dismantling former Soviet nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and materials. Over time, however, the agenda expanded geographically and thematically.

Ambassador Jenkins’ work highlights three reasons these efforts remain vital:

• Legacy materials remain dangerous: Fissile materials, chemical agents, and poorly secured biological samples can be stolen or misused decades after their creation. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continues to document cases of nuclear and radioactive material out of regulatory control.[IAEA-2022]
• Non-state actors have global reach: Terrorist groups and transnational criminal networks can seek WMD capabilities by exploiting weak security, corruption, or political instability. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540 obliges all states to prevent non-state actors from acquiring WMDs, underscoring the universal nature of this risk.[UN-1540]
• New technologies change the threat landscape: Advances in biotechnology, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems raise fresh questions about how existing arms control and threat reduction tools need to adapt.

CTR is not just a set of projects; it is a method: build trust, share information, invest in people and infrastructure, and maintain long-term partnerships so that security gains do not erode when political conditions change.

The Global Health Security Connection

Another major theme in Jenkins’ career is the intersection between WMD nonproliferation and global health security. Industrial labs, hospitals, and research facilities can handle dangerous pathogens that, if stolen or misused, could be turned into biological weapons.

As a senior State Department official, she helped lead U.S. diplomacy on the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), a partnership of countries and organizations working to build core capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. The GHSA aligns closely with the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations and emphasizes practical measures such as:

• Strengthening laboratory biosafety and biosecurity.
• Improving disease surveillance and reporting systems.
• Building rapid response capabilities for outbreaks.

These measures reduce the risk of both natural pandemics and deliberate biological attacks. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how health security and national security are deeply intertwined, reinforcing the logic behind the initiatives Jenkins helped advance.[WHO-IHR]

Diversity, Inclusion, and Who Gets to Shape Security Policy

For Jenkins, peace and security are not just about treaties and technology; they are also about who is in the room when decisions are made. In 2017 she founded Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) to address the underrepresentation and isolation of women of color in these fields.

WCAPS works to:

• Provide mentorship, networking, and professional development opportunities.
• Elevate the expertise and public visibility of women of color in security debates.
• Build a community that spans regions, disciplines, and generations.

The organization’s existence reflects a broader shift: recognizing that inclusive teams can generate better, more legitimate, and more sustainable security policies. Research on diverse leadership supports the idea that varied perspectives improve problem-solving and risk assessment, especially in complex and uncertain environments.[OECD-2014]

Lessons for Future Peace and Security Professionals

Jenkins’ career suggests several practical lessons for people who want to contribute to global security, whether inside or outside government.

1. Combine Technical Knowledge with Diplomacy

Effective arms control and threat reduction require understanding both the technical side (e.g., how nuclear fuel cycles work or how pathogens are handled in labs) and the political side (e.g., what states are willing to accept in a treaty). Jenkins’ background in law, security studies, and practical program management allowed her to bridge these worlds.

2. Think in Systems, Not Single Projects

Threat reduction programs span multiple agencies, countries, and sectors. Success depends on aligning incentives, clarifying roles, and maintaining cooperation over time. Jenkins’ coordinating roles show how important it is to:

• Understand how different institutions interact.
• Translate between technical experts and policymakers.
• Plan for continuity even when administrations or political conditions change.

3. Invest in People and Institutions

Security improvements are only as durable as the institutions and people who maintain them. Training, mentorship, and professional networks – from capacity-building in partner countries to organizations like WCAPS – are crucial for long-term impact.

4. Center Equity and Representation

Jenkins’ decision to found WCAPS shows that building a safer world also means making sure that those most affected by conflict and insecurity have a say in shaping solutions. Inclusion is not only a question of fairness but a core component of effective strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What are weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)?

A: WMDs are weapons designed to cause large-scale death or destruction, typically categorized as nuclear, chemical, biological, and sometimes radiological weapons. International treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) aim to restrict or eliminate these weapons.[UN-NPT][OPCW]

Q2: How does arms control reduce the risk of war?

A: Arms control agreements can cap or reduce arsenals, improve transparency, and create verification mechanisms such as inspections and data exchanges. These measures lower the risk of miscalculation, arms races, and surprise attacks, contributing to strategic stability.[UNIDIR]

Q3: What is the difference between nonproliferation and disarmament?

A: Nonproliferation focuses on preventing the spread of WMDs to new states or non-state actors, while disarmament seeks to reduce or eliminate existing arsenals. Both are complementary: nonproliferation stops the problem from getting worse; disarmament aims to solve it over time.

Q4: Why is diversity important in peace and security work?

A: Diverse teams bring different experiences, risk perceptions, and policy ideas, which can improve decision-making in complex and uncertain environments. Organizations like WCAPS emphasize that including women of color and other underrepresented groups enhances both the legitimacy and the effectiveness of security policy.[OECD-2014]

Q5: How can someone start a career in arms control or WMD threat reduction?

A: Common entry paths include studying international relations, security studies, law, or relevant sciences; pursuing internships or fellowships in government agencies, international organizations, or think tanks; and engaging in specialized training or simulations. Jenkins’ own mix of legal, academic, and policy roles shows that interdisciplinary backgrounds are often an asset.

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Medha Deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts. Medha specializes in the areas of beauty, health, sports, and wellness and is committed to ensuring that the content on the website is…