Guy B. Roberts

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy

Guy Roberts has over thirty years of experience in public policy, foreign affairs, international organizations, bi-lateral and multilateral negotiations on strategic issues, and international legal matters.

Until August 2011 he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy and Director, Nuclear Policy Planning Directorate for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).  In that capacity he was responsible for developing policy on issues related to combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, missile defense, and overseeing and implementing NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy and posture.

Prior to that Mr. Roberts was Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and Principal Director for Negotiations Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense responsible for advising senior Defense Department officials on the entire range of United States arms control and non-proliferation policies.  He was also responsible for implementing policy guidance and Department of Defense positions for current and emerging proliferation issues in multilateral arms control and disarmament fora.

From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Roberts served as the legal counsel for arms control and non-proliferation in the US Department of the Navy.  In that capacity he was responsible for reviewing all naval programs to ensure compliance U.S. international legal obligations including all arms control and nonproliferation agreements and developing policy on all arms control and nonproliferation agreements or initiatives, which could impact Departmental equities.

Mr. Roberts had a distinguished 25-year career in the US Marine Corps before retiring with the rank of Colonel, holding a wide range of assignments in policy formulation, operations support, negotiations, management, litigation and serving as a policy/legal advisor both in the US and during overseas assignments.  Positions and responsibilities included legal counsel to a four-star Combatant Commander, and military representative for disarmament and arms control issues to the United Nations, Conference on Disarmament and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Mr. Roberts received his law degree from the University of Denver, and he holds masters’ degrees in international and comparative law from Georgetown University, in international relations from the University of Southern California, and in strategic studies from the Naval War College where he graduated with highest distinction and won the Stephen B. Luce Award for academic achievement. He is admitted to practice in Colorado, California, Arizona and before the Military Court of Criminal Appeals and the US Supreme Court, and he is a member of the International Institute of Strategic Studies and the International Law of War Society. Mr. Roberts has written extensively on nonproliferation, arms control, terrorism and law of war issues.