Statement by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice on the Entry Into Force of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials

/

Today marks an important step forward in the Obama Administration’s efforts to secure nuclear material globally.  Nicaragua and Uruguay deposited their instruments of ratification of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials.  In doing so, they joined Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Kuwait, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Montenegro, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Serbia, which ratified the amendment just ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit. Taken together, these countries represent the last of the 102 states needed for this amendment to enter into force, which it will do 30 days from today, becoming legally binding on all ratifying states.

This amendment sets forth obligations for states parties to secure their civilian nuclear material -- in use, storage, or transport -- in a manner consistent with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidance, and facilitates the further criminalization and prosecution of nuclear smuggling. Among other steps, it also establishes responsibilities for states parties to notify others of potentially dangerous incidents regarding nuclear material out of regulatory control.  The IAEA Director General will hold periodic review conferences called for by the amendment, which will help maintain high-level attention and momentum on nuclear security.   We look forward to working with the IAEA to support its new responsibilities to share information provided by states parties, to assist states parties in treaty implementation, and to convene regular meetings of national Points of Contact as required by the treaty. 

The United States fully appreciates the extraordinary measures taken by the recent ratifying states and by the IAEA to complete these steps ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit.  We will continue to promote the universal ratification and implementation of this cornerstone of the global nuclear security architecture, and we urge all countries who have not yet ratified this treaty to do so as soon as possible.

Highlights of National Progress Reports

/
Highlights of National Progress Reports

Since the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, participating States have reported a number of substantial actions and achievements that – individually and collectively – have strengthened nuclear security implementation at the national, regional, and international levels and built up the global nuclear security architecture.

Taken together, several common themes emerge.  Over 40 Summit countries have engaged in capacity building, whether through training, Centers of Excellence, or exercises.  Over 30 countries have updated national laws, regulations, or structures relating to nuclear security.  Over 20 countries have held or invited peer review missions, either bilaterally or through the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) International Physical Protection Advisory Service.  Three more countries – China, India, and Jordan – have pledged to strengthen nuclear security implementation through subscribing to the 2014 Joint Statement on Strengthening Nuclear Security Implementation (INFCIRC 869), bringing the total number to 38.  Eighteen countries have taken steps to increase the security of radioactive sources.  Seventeen countries have been involved in removal or disposal of nuclear materials, or minimization of highly enriched uranium (HEU).  Sixteen countries have ratified nuclear security treaties or taken particular steps to implement them.  Fifteen countries have carried out physical security upgrades or acquired security or detection equipment.  A dozen countries have joined or launched new international or regional structures to support nuclear security cooperation.  Twelve countries have indicated their financial contributions to support bilateral or international cooperation in nuclear security.  And 10 countries noted steps taken to support or implement United National Security Council Resolution 1540.  These represent tangible, practical steps towards locking down nuclear and other radioactive material and building up the global nuclear security architecture.

Read More

Deputy Secretary Blinken To Lead Innovation Forum Workshop on Technology and Nonproliferation

/
Deputy Secretary Blinken To Lead Innovation Forum Workshop on Technology and Nonproliferation

Deputy Secretary Blinken will lead a day-long workshop at Stanford University, “The Hunt for Weapons of Mass Destruction: Leveraging New Technology” on April 7.

This workshop, which will follow the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit hosted by President Obama this week in Washington, will explore the innovative tools we need in the fight against weapons of mass destruction. While new technology is making access to these weapons easier every day, it also provides new opportunities to prevent their spread and verify their destruction. The event will bring together experts from the tech and science community, government, private sector, NGOs, philanthropy, and academia to harness new technology and trends such as microsats, smartphone apps, ubiquitous sensing, crowdsourcing, and data analysis to address this urgent challenge.

Read More

How we can make our vision of a world without nuclear weapons a reality

/
How we can make our vision of a world without nuclear weapons a reality

Of all the threats to global security and peace, the most dangerous is the proliferation and potential use of nuclear weapons. That’s why, seven years ago in Prague, I committed the United States to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and to seeking a world without them. This vision builds on the policies of presidents before me, Democrat and Republican, including Ronald Reagan, who said “we seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.”

Read More

Joint Statement by Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on a Civil Society Gift Basket

/
Joint Statement by Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on a Civil Society Gift Basket

Since President Barack Obama initiated the Nuclear Security Summit process in 2010, leaders from around the world have joined the effort to prevent nuclear terrorism. The process has fostered international cooperation that has delivered tangible improvements to global nuclear security and reduced the threat of nuclear terrorism. 

Read More

Morocco-Spain Joint Statement on “Gate to Africa Exercise”

/
Morocco-Spain Joint Statement on “Gate to Africa Exercise”

In this regard and underscoring the importance of transport security of the nuclear andother  radioactive materials within the international dynamic generated by NSS process in Washington, Seoul and The Hague communiqués [paragraphs 9,8 and 31 respectively], Morocco and Spain, in cooperation with  the IAEA organized in Madrid on 27-29 October, 2015 a Table Top and Field Exercise named "Gate to Africa" with the presence of around 60 international observers, including representatives of the United Nations (1540 committee), the IAEA, Interpol, the IMO, the EU andthe GICNT.

Read More

Nuclear Smuggling: Not Just Fodder for Hollywood

/
Nuclear Smuggling: Not Just Fodder for Hollywood

We have all read dramatic headlines or watched television dramas about terrorists attempting to acquire nuclear or radiological material for a weapon. While this may seem like Hollywood make-believe, we should be under no illusions about the real–life challenges we face. Given the destruction terrorists could unleash with a dirty bomb, nuclear terrorism is a threat to our collective security. 

 

Read More

U.S. Energy Secretary Moniz and Chinese Atomic Energy Authority Open New Nuclear Security Training Facility

/
U.S. Energy Secretary Moniz and Chinese Atomic Energy Authority Open New Nuclear Security Training Facility

U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, accompanied by senior officials from the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), the Department of Defense, and a host of international VIPs, participated with the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) to commission China’s new nuclear security Center of Excellence (COE). 

Read More

OPM Guidance During 2016 Nuclear Security Summit

/
OPM Guidance During 2016 Nuclear Security Summit

On Thursday, March 31 through Friday, April 1, 2016, President Obama will welcome world leaders from more than 50 nations and four international organizations at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC.  This historical event will be one of the world’s largest gatherings of Heads of State and is designed to enhance international cooperation to prevent nuclear terrorism. 

Read More

MEDIA NOTE: Ambassador Jenkins Travels to Pakistan for the IAEA International Network for Nuclear Security Meeting

/
MEDIA NOTE: Ambassador Jenkins Travels to Pakistan for the IAEA International Network for Nuclear Security Meeting

Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins is leading the U.S. delegation to the annual meeting of the International Network for Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres (NSSC Network), held this year in Islamabad at the Pakistan Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Nuclear Security, from March 14 through March 18. Ambassador Jenkins serves as the chair of the NSSC Network. The aim of this annual meeting is to review the status of implementation of the NSSC Network.

Read More

IAEA NUSIMS: Online Tool to Strengthen Nuclear Security

/
IAEA NUSIMS: Online Tool to Strengthen Nuclear Security

Participants from 71 Member States learnt about an IAEA voluntary self-assessment tool to strengthen national nuclear security regimes at a meeting at IAEA headquarters last month. The online nuclear security information management system (NUSIMS) provides Member States with a clear and more up-to-date picture of their respective nuclear security situation through a structured self-assessment tool.

Read More

Uzbekistan Becomes 28th HEU-free Country Under DNN Partnership

/

On September 24, 2015, a partnership with DNN’s Office of Material Management and Minimization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the Russian Federation successfully returned to Russia the final 5 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU) spent fuel from the IIN-3M “Foton” research reactor in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This is the eighth shipment of HEU from Uzbekistan since 2004 and marks the removal of all HEU from that country. 

Read More

Workshop Furthers Goals of Maritime Security Gift Basket

/

DNN’s Office of Global Material Security (GMS) and the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) concluded a three-day workshop in November 2015 on the security of the global maritime supply chain at the Wilton Park Conference Centre in the United Kingdom. Fifty participants from 15 countries and 9 international organizations developed recommendations and shared best practices for effectively deterring, detecting, and responding to trafficking of nuclear and radiological materials out of regulatory control (MORC). The participants represented a broad range of stakeholders, including policy organizations, detection operations agencies, regulatory authorities, regional and international organizations, and major terminal operators.

Read More

The 2016 Nuclear Security Summit: A Point of Transition

/
The 2016 Nuclear Security Summit: A Point of Transition

By Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins: In a landmark speech in Prague in April 2009, President Obama declared that “…we must ensure that terrorists never acquire a nuclear weapon.  This is the most immediate and extreme threat to global security.  One terrorist with one nuclear weapon could unleash massive destruction.” To help address this threat, President Obama proposed to host a Summit on nuclear security. 

Read More

Statement on Launch of the U.S.-Republic of Korea High Level Bilateral Commission

/
Statement on Launch of the U.S.-Republic of Korea High Level Bilateral Commission

Today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Korea Cho Tae-yul announced the launch of the High Level Bilateral Commission (HLBC).  In their roles as HLBC Co-Chairs, Deputy Secretary Sherwood-Randall and Vice Minister Cho also announced that the first meeting of the HLBC will take place in Seoul on April 14.  Deputy Secretary Sherwood-Randall will travel to Seoul to Co-Chair the HLBC as part of a trip focused on nuclear security, safety, nonproliferation, and clean energy.

Read More

United States Collaborates with Switzerland to Remove Last Remaining Separated Plutonium

/

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), working in collaboration with the Government of Switzerland, announced that approximately 20 kilograms of separated plutonium have been transportedfrom Switzerland to the United States. The successful transport of this plutonium was completed through a multilateral effort that included NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), Switzerland’s Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). With this removal, Switzerland is now free of all separated plutonium.  

Read More