IAEA Press Releases
IAEA Press Release 2003/03
Stronger Controls Needed to Prevent Terrorist "Dirty Bombs"
Vienna Conference Urges Better Security, Surveillance and Regulation
Vienna, 13 March 2003 | Over seven hundred delegates from more than 120 countries gathering in Vienna called today for stronger national and international security over radioactive sources, especially those that could be used to produce a terrorist "dirty bomb."
"High-risk radioactive sources that are not under secure and regulated control, including so-called "orphan" sources, raise serious security and safety concerns," the International Conference on Security of Radioactive Sources concluded today. "Effective national infrastructures for the safe and secure management of vulnerable and dangerous radioactive sources are essential for ensuring the long-term security and control of such sources."
In some countries, regulatory control of radioactive sources - used extensively in medicine and industry - remains weak. Global concerns about the security and safety of radioactive sources escalated following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. There are fears that some radioactive sources could be used by terrorists as radiological dispersal devices, or so called "dirty bombs."
"Source security has taken on a new urgency since 9/11," Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency said during the conference opening. "There are millions of radiological sources used throughout the world. Most are very weak. What we are focusing on is preventing the theft or loss of control of the powerful radiological sources," Dr. ElBaradei said.
To effectively deal with the potential terrorist threat posed by so-called dirty bombs, the conference called for new international initiatives aimed at facilitating the location, recovery and securing of high risk radioactive sources throughout the world, under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Conference also called for a concerted worldwide effort under IAEA leadership to implement the principles in the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, which is now being revised to account for security concerns, in order to promote adequate radiation safety and security control infrastructures. States should also adhere to the security-related principles contained in the international Basic Safety Standards.
The Conference has offered numerous specific findings for addressing security concerns, identifying high-risk sources, and strengthening government actions to minimize radiological risks. Among the key recommendations:
- Implementation by all States of national action plans for locating, searching for, recovering and securing high-risk radioactive sources;
- Strengthening measures to detect, interdict and respond to illicit trafficking in high-risk radioactive sources;
- Public awareness campaigns to foster - among legislators, source users and the public - a better understanding of real threats and the appropriate responses in the event of a radiological emergency;
- Concerted efforts by all States and the IAEA to enhance the current national and international arrangements to respond proactively to the possible malevolent use of high-risk radioactive sources.
"It is our critically important job to deny terrorists the radioactive sources they need to construct such RDD weapons," United States Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham told the Conference on Tuesday. "Our governments must act to identify all the high-risk radioactive sources that are being used and have been abandoned. We must educate our officials and the general populace, raising awareness of the existence of these dangerous radioactive sources and the consequences of their misuse."
The International Conference on Security of Radioactive Sources was held from 10 to 13 March 2003 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham presided over the Conference, which was co-sponsored by the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the United States of America and hosted by the Government of Austria. It was organized by the IAEA in co-operation with the European Commission, the World Customs Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-Interpol) and the European Police Office (Europol).
Related Coverage: Pages on Radioactive Sources
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) serves as the world's foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Established as an autonomous organization under the United Nations (UN) in 1957, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the useful contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use.
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