"Everybody has to chip in, I think, and see how we can have a functioning system of collective security where we do not continue to face the threat of countries trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction or particularly nuclear weapons"
About this Quote
The phrase “functioning system of collective security” does double duty. On the surface it’s technocratic, a systems engineer’s plea for maintenance. Underneath, it’s a diagnosis: the system is not functioning, not because the concept is flawed, but because member states treat it as optional when inconvenient. ElBaradei is speaking from the IAEA worldview, where legitimacy depends on rules being applied consistently. That’s why he doesn’t name offenders. Naming would satisfy audiences hungry for villains, but it would also expose the hypocrisy he’s tiptoeing around: nuclear-armed states preaching nonproliferation while modernizing arsenals; powerful countries bypassing institutions when they’re slow or skeptical.
His careful narrowing - “weapons of mass destruction or particularly nuclear weapons” - signals a hierarchy of dread. Nuclear proliferation is the political gravity well that distorts every other security debate, turning regional rivalries into global crises. The intent is to re-center prevention as a collective responsibility, not a selective enforcement tool. In ElBaradei’s framing, the real threat isn’t just a new bomb; it’s a world where the rules stop binding.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
ElBaradei, Mohamed. (2026, January 14). Everybody has to chip in, I think, and see how we can have a functioning system of collective security where we do not continue to face the threat of countries trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction or particularly nuclear weapons. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everybody-has-to-chip-in-i-think-and-see-how-we-153888/
Chicago Style
ElBaradei, Mohamed. "Everybody has to chip in, I think, and see how we can have a functioning system of collective security where we do not continue to face the threat of countries trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction or particularly nuclear weapons." FixQuotes. January 14, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everybody-has-to-chip-in-i-think-and-see-how-we-153888/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Everybody has to chip in, I think, and see how we can have a functioning system of collective security where we do not continue to face the threat of countries trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction or particularly nuclear weapons." FixQuotes, 14 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everybody-has-to-chip-in-i-think-and-see-how-we-153888/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
