William Flynn Martin - Diplomatic Endeavors and Honors

Diplomatic Endeavors and Honors

World Resources Institute: Martin joined the board of the World Resources Institute in 1998 and served as WRI’s Chairman of the Development Committee. He was instrumental in conceptualizing the October 2000 "Digital Dividends" conference between leading environmentalists and technology leaders, including Bill Gates, on reducing the digital divide.

Trilateral Commission: In 1997, he was the lead author of a Trilateral Commission study, Maintaining Energy Security in a Global Context . His co-authors were Helga Stegg and the Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Disarmament Conference, Ryukichi Imai. The report was translated into French, German and Japanese .

Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee: Martin is a member of the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee and served as Chairman from 2002 to 2012. Appointed under the Administration of George W. Bush in 2002, Martin oversaw the sixteen person committee responsible for advising the Department of Energy on four key areas: nuclear reactor research & development (including Gen-IV reactors); technology issues related to fuel cycle; infrastructure requirements for DOE national laboratories; and international nuclear issues (including non-proliferation, safety and security). In 2008, NEAC released the report, Nuclear Energy: Policies and Technology for the 21st Century, to provide a bipartisan approach to nuclear energy and technology road map for advancing safe nuclear energy worldwide. In 2011, Martin and fellow NEAC member Burton Richter (Nobel Prize winner in Physics) teamed up to write International Issues in Nuclear Power, which will be included in the upcoming Hoover Institution book, The Nuclear Enterprise.

Council on Foreign Relations: Martin was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations in 1983 and served as chairman of the Council's Energy Security Group from 1997 to 2006. He is a frequent speaker on energy at the Council including recent speeches on the Fukushima disaster and the subsequent effects and energy implications for US-Japan relations as well as presiding over a session with Senator Joseph Lieberman on the future of China's energy situation . On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr. Martin presented a paper entitled Energy: Looking back, Looking Forward 90 Years .

University for Peace: In 2004, Martin was appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan to the Council of the University for Peace . He was then elected President of the Council at its October 2006 meeting. Headquartered in Costa Rica, the United Nations-mandated University for Peace was established in December 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the UN General Assembly. As determined in the Charter of the University, the mission of the University for Peace is "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, to stimulate cooperation among peoples and to help lessen obstacles and threats to world peace and progress, in keeping with the noble aspirations proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations". Martin retired after eight years of service on the UPEACE Council and was commended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a letter that can be seen here .

North Korea: Martin served as the chairman of the United Nations Working Group on the DPRK (North Korea), providing assistance to the Six Party Talks (involving representatives of the governments of China, Russia, Japan, United States, North and South Korea) on economic and energy prospects for the DPRK on behalf of the United Nations. This group issued the 2005 report, Energy Scenarios for the DPRK . A companion group on economic issues confronting North Korea was chaired by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz.

Prague Security Studies Institute:

In 1998, Martin co-founded the Robinson-Martin Security Scholars Program at the Prague Security Studies Institute that aims to educate Czech students in national security. In 2004 he co-chaired a conference in Prague on "Energy and Security" with former Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra focused on developing diversified energy sources for the Czech Republic . He is currently a member of the Board of PSSI and Chairman of the PSSI Corporate Council . For these efforts, he was commended by President Vaclav Havel for outstanding contributions to the Czech Republic in the following letter .

Club of Prague In 2004, he was co-founder of the Club of Prague, an initiative under the auspices of President Václav Havel to seek more environmentally sensitive energy policies composed of distinguished scientists, historians, philosophers, writers and energy systems engineers. A report on a 2006 conference of the Club of Prague can be seen here .

US-Japan relations: Long interested in US-Japan energy relations, Martin was Chairman of the US-Japan energy working group that produced the 1983 Reagan-Nakasone Joint Statement on Japan-United States Energy Cooperation . He was also active in approving and testifying on the US-Japan Nuclear Cooperation Agreement of 1987 and was the lead witness of the Reagan Administration in support of the agreement before the United States Congress in December, 1987. His testimony can be seen here . More recently, Martin has been coordinator of the Santa Fe Energy Seminar that brings senior Japanese and US government and private sector leaders together to discuss the importance of nuclear energy and its impact on the global environment, world economy and non-proliferation .

International Atomic Energy Agency: In 2008, he was appointed by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei as Project Coordinator for the IAEA’s 20/20 Project, which provided an assessment of the challenges the Agency will face in a report, Reinforcing the Global Nuclear Order for Peace and Prosperity: The Role of the IAEA to 2020 and Beyond .

Global Energy Prize: In 2008, William Martin was elected to the International Award Committee of the Global Energy Prize . This prize, presented by the President of Russia, recognizes outstanding research and innovation in the field of energy. "The Global Energy International Prize is one of the most prestigious international awards granted for outstanding scientific achievements in the field of energy which have proved of benefit to the entire human race".

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Leadership Award (France): In 1991, Martin was one of two recipients in the United States honoring American researchers interested in France. The award was granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. The research, conducted in French, was focused on the French nuclear energy program.

Department of Defense: In early 2003, Martin was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense with responsibilities to recruit senior US civilian advisers for assignments in Iraq. This involved placing American advisers in twenty six Iraqi agencies and ministries for the purposes of reconstruction, as well as dispatching Czech Chief Justice Vojtech Cepl to Iraq to evaluate property restitution. Based on this experience, Justice Cepl with the assistance of Ambassador Boyden Gray initiated the training of over one hundred and forty Iraqi judges in Prague's CEELI Institute .