Nuclear Material Protection Pact to Be Strengthened

An international treaty on the protection of nuclear materials will be strengthened this year to require additional safeguards against diversion of substances by terrorists, the Kyodo news agency reported yesterday (see GSN, March 21).

The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials now only requires its 110 signatories to take measures to protect nuclear materials such as plutonium during international shipments. The revised policy would require safeguards for substances that are being used, stockpiled or shipped within a nation’s borders, sources told Kyodo.

The proposal also calls on governments to develop response scenarios for the potential theft of nuclear material, or damage to such material. Members would be required to protect nuclear facilities, even in the absence of atomic material.

Representatives from the member countries are set to meet in July in Vienna to approve the revisions. The leading nations support the proposal, Kyodo reported. The United States and Russia are among the pact’s members (Kyodo/BBC Monitoring, March 29).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.