John Tilemann is Director of Research for the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN). Previously he was a career diplomat in the Australian Foreign Service. His career included extensive involvement in nuclear affairs in Canberra, and he represented Australia at various international forums including Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conferences, the Proliferation Security Initiative, the ASEAN Regional Forum Intersessional Meetings on Non-proliferation and Disarmament and at Asian Export Control Seminars. In Vienna he was Australia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and was subsequently seconded as chief of staff to two IAEA DGs (Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei). He was Australia’s ambassador to Jordan 2002-2006 and served previously in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Poland.