Challenging Nuclear Secrecy
CHALLENGING NUCLEAR SECRECY REPORT • 2025 EDITION
This 2025 edition of the Challenging Nuclear Secrecy: a discussion of hierarchies, ethics and barriers to access in nuclear archive revisits the 2023 archive report for the Nuclear Truth Project.
The report has been reprinted with an updated introduction for our supporters with co-authors Dimity Hawkins, Marco de Jong and Nic Maclellan, launched again in March 2025.
The conclusion of our report identified three key Policy and Action Calls for further discussion:
1. Understanding that privileged and hierarchical access for some has entrenched barriers for affected communities, we call on governments, institutions and civil society to reform such practices.
2. Understanding that nuclear secrecy is sustained unjustly and to the detriment of affected communities, we call on States to commit to openness and transparency with their nuclear archives.
3. Understanding that affected communities maintain community memory in place, we call for greater resourcing for alternatives for archival justice.
Please contact the Nuclear Truth Project to share your thoughts on the report or to request a high resolution version.
WHY WE WROTE THE REPORT
This report from the Nuclear Truth Project is a deep discussion on how affected communities, researchers, civil society and governments interact with nuclear archives.
Pacific scholar, Marco de Jong, was lead author on the report. Alongside the NTP Coordinators and Pacific journalist Nic Maclellan and US reference librarian, Carla Cantagallo, the team worked to produce the Challenging Nuclear Secrecy report, which was launched globally on 7 August 2023. The project engaged with around 18 researchers, activists and affected community Peoples who have experience with nuclear archives.
Our report highlights the limitations of nuclear secrecy, and explores issues related to privileged and tiered access. It also invites inquiry into what it will take for affected communities to be at the centre of work to implement Article 6 and 7 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the next Meetings of State Parties and beyond.
In November 2023, the Nuclear Truth Project submitted a Working Paper to the United Nations Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) which highlighted the calls and findings of this report. You can find the Working Paper here.
- Watch the report launch webinar from August 2023
- Enquire about the list of USA archive resources by co-author Carla Cantagallo
- Enquire about the list of French archive resources by co-author Nic Maclellan
Photo: Nuclear Truth Project side event on the Challenging Nuclear Secrecy report with (left to right): Dimity Hawkins, Hinamoeura Morgant-Cross, Petuuche Gilbert, Karina Lester, Pam Kingfisher, Bedi Racule, Benetick Kabua Maddison (not pictured, was our other panellist Jean-Marie Collin).
