World leaders from 47 countries and three international organizations participated in the first Nuclear Security Summit, held in Washington April 12-13, 2010.  Through the Summit, President Obama brought high-level attention to the global threat posed by nuclear terrorism and advanced a common approach to strengthening nuclear security.  

Embodied in the Washington Communiqué, participating leaders committed to ensure effective security of all nuclear materials under their control, to consolidate or reduce the use of weapons-usable materials in civilian applications, and to work cooperatively as an international community to advance nuclear security, requesting and providing assistance as necessary.   

A key outcome of the Summit was the issuance of the Washington Work Plan, which provides detailed guidance for concrete national and international actions to implement the pledges in the Communiqué.  The plan includes: 

  • Ratifying and implementing treaties on nuclear security and nuclear terrorism;
  • Cooperating through the United Nations to implement and assist others in connection with Security Council resolutions;
  • Working with the International Atomic Energy Agency to update and implement security guidance and carry out advisory services;
  • Reviewing national regulatory and legal requirements related to nuclear security and nuclear trafficking;
  • Converting civilian facilities that use HEU to non-weapons-usable materials;
  • Research on new nuclear fuels, detection methods, and forensics techniques;
  • Development of corporate and institutional cultures that prioritize nuclear security;
  • Education and training to ensure that countries and facilities have the people they need to protect their materials; and,
  • Joint exercises among law enforcement and customs officials to enhance nuclear detection approaches.
  • In addition to the commitments made in the Communiqué and Work Plan, many participating countries presented national statements in which they pledged to take specific actions in support of the Summit’s objectives.  At the 2010 Summit, 32 countries made over 70 commitments on concrete steps to enhance nuclear security.  Reflecting the sense of urgency galvanized by the threat of nuclear terrorism and the occasion of the Summit, most of these commitments were implemented prior to the 2012 Summit, resulting in tangible improvements to global security. Highlights of National Commitments   

Participants:

47 Countries:  Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam 

3 International Organizations:  The European Union, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the United Nations