Turning Swords into Plowshares: The Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society. Co-production of science and policy within NATO

Abstract

NATO launched its Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society with considerable parade in 1969. By analysing the first five years of the committee through a co-production perspective, this thesis argues that it transformed during this period to an effective policy and research committee mainly by merits of its own success. The committee launched several projects, which in turn set up many different conferences and research projects. Two of these pilot studies (Road Safety and Air Pollution) are taken as case studies in this thesis. It was through its scientific research, technical solutions and policy proposals that the committee affected and created new ways of dealing with the issues of the modern society. The committee contributed to the first steps in development of a new, third dimension for NATO. However, this process was obscured due to its own structure. The way in which the CCMS functioned sheds new light on how political organisations grow dynamically with scientific knowledge they produce.