IAEA Global Nuclear Security Initiatives

United Nations

Security Council Resolution 1373 adopted in September 2001 obliges all UN Member States to take specific actions to combat terrorism. The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) was established to monitor the performance in building a global capacity against terrorism. Twelve international conventions, including the Convetion on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, are recognized as constituting the global infrastructure against terrorism. These provide the basis for the work of the CTC. The IAEA participates in the CTC and provides detailed reporting on the implementation of its nuclear security programme.

The G8 & Nuclear Security

The G8 Global Partnership pledged to make $20 billion available to the Russian Federation and the Newly Independent States over ten years to help manage their nuclear and other radioactive materials. As part of their contributions to the G8 Global Partnership, Canada, Germany and the UK have made contributions to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund (NSF). At its Evian Summit in 2003, the G8 noted its contributions to the NSF and its cooperation with the Agency within the framework of the programme for protection against nuclear and radiological terrorism. The G8 reaffirmed its support for the actions undertaken by the Agency in favour of, inter alia, the security of radioactive sources, and declared its readiness to co-operate with the Agency.

The G8 stated that it would direct a working group to identify those elements of the Agency Code of Conduct that are of greatest relevance to prevent terrorists from gaining access to radioactive sources in close consultation with the Agency. The group would consider possible measures to safeguard and restrict access to sources; conditioning and/or recycling of sources; and systems to detect the passage of radioactive sources at strategic points such as border crossings.

Nuclear Research Reactor

The security of research reactors and their associated facilities is of increasing international concern. Research reactors have features that raise specific nuclear security challenges. Some of these challenges, especially those concerned with sabotage, are addressed by measures that serve both safety and security objectives. In the context of the IAEA's comprehensive approach to addressing nuclear security issues, the IAEA has developed an integrated plan for enhancing the security of research reactors and their associated facilities.

The plan brings together the existing risk reduction work related to fuel and decommissioning, with measures to enhance physical security, engineering and safety measures to reduce vulnerabilities, material control, training to improve security awareness and culture, legislative and regulatory measures, and enhancement of emergency preparedness measures.

European Union

In December 2003, the European Union adopted a 'Strategy Against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction'. It incorporates a range of measures, including export controls; the criminalization of activities that contribute to the proliferation of WMD and related materials; physical protection of nuclear materials and facilities; and better control on the use, storage and disposal of radioactive sources. The Strategy implies closer collaboration between the EU and multilateral institutions, among them, the IAEA. As part of the Strategy, the EU has offered a contribution of 3.3 million Euro to the Agency to support its nuclear security programme.

The European Union/United States Declaration on the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, issued after the summit in Ireland in 2004, noted that the risk that terrorists might acquire weapons of mass destruction requires a long-term strategy and a multi-faceted solution involving the participation of international institutions, including those of the United Nations system. The Declaration expressed support for the IAEA's efforts to assist countries in developing effective and sustainable legal and regulatory controls on sources.

Radiological Security Partnership

At the conference on the Security of Radioactive sources held in Vienna in March 2003, the US Secretary of Energy announced a new initiative, the Radiological Security Partnership (RSP) to address "the potential threats from under secured high-risk radioactive sources". The RSP, in partnership with the IAEA, jointly engages with other countries to mitigate the risk posed by radiological materials that could be used as a radiological dispersal device (RDD).

The US Department of Energy (US DOE) and the Agency are in the process of establishing a Regional Radiological Security Partnership (RRSP) programme intended to complement the RSP, as well as on-going bilateral and IAEA radiological risk reduction activities. The RRSP will allow the IAEA and US DOE to work jointly with a regional partner to promote and support key issues and activities for radiological security in that region. Specific activities will be attuned to the particular needs and competences available amongst participating States. The RRSP will also offer the opportunity for other donors with particular regional interests or competences to join the Partnership.

2005 International Conference on Nuclear Security

Security experts, law enforcement authorities, and other officials meet in London 16-18 March, 2005 at the International Conference on Nuclear Security. Themed "Global Directions for the Future," this conference will provide a forum for the international community to discuss the nature of the threat of malicious acts involving nuclear and other radioactive materials and their associated facilities. It will provide an opportunity to share information on how to most successfully combat sub-State and criminal threats now and in the future. For further information, visit the events calendar at the IAEA website at www.iaea.org.