NTI Nuclear Security Index


Building a framework for assurance, accountability, and action

Challenge

Global leaders had no baseline for assessing the security of weapons-usable nuclear materials or nuclear facilities.

Action

With Economist Impact, NTI created the NTI Nuclear Security Index, a first-of-its-kind public benchmarking of nuclear security conditions around the world.

Results

After helping shape the agenda at the Nuclear Security Summits through 2016, the NTI Index continues to spur countries to enhance nuclear security and reduce highly enriched uranium (HEU) stocks.

22 countries have nuclear materials that could be used to build a nuclear bomb and 154 other countries without such materials could serve as safe havens, staging grounds, or transit routes for illicit nuclear activities. Countries with and without nuclear materials must be accountable for their efforts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe, which would inevitably have global implications. Constant vigilance by nuclear operators, governments, and international organizations is needed to keep pace with evolving threats.

In partnership with Economist Impact, NTI developed the Nuclear Security Index to promote action to strengthen nuclear security, track progress, identify nuclear security priorities, and build accountability. With its first three editions timed for release before the 2012, 2014, and 2016 Nuclear Security Summits, the NTI Index measured progress, including actions taken to fulfill summit commitments, in an era when global leadership and political attention on nuclear security were at their highest levels. Keeping track of nuclear security is even more important now that the summits have ended.

Today, the NTI Index is recognized as the premier resource and tool for tracking progress on nuclear security. It serves as a much-needed forcing function for continued progress by highlighting evolutions in best practices and priorities, raising red flags where gaps and challenges remain unaddressed, and promoting action and accountability. The NTI Index also provides an assessment of the health, sustainability, and comprehensiveness of the global nuclear security architecture, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and international treaties.

Activity

2024


2023




The NTI Nuclear Security Index

Index

The NTI Nuclear Security Index

The NTI Index is recognized as the premier resource and tool for evaluating global nuclear and radiological security.


The 2023 NTI Nuclear Security Index

Report

The 2023 NTI Nuclear Security Index

“The bottom line is that the countries and areas with the greatest responsibility for protecting the world from a catastrophic act of nuclear terrorism are derelict in their duty,” the 2023 NTI Index reports.



2021



2020





2019


2018





2017


NTI Expert discusses WMD issues with NextGen Group

News

NTI Expert discusses WMD issues with NextGen Group

NTI's Michelle Nalabandian joined the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian Pugwash Association in Cairo, meeting with young professionals to discuss WMD issues.




2016




Nuclear Security in the Middle East

Event

Past Event

Nuclear Security in the Middle East

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 1225, Washington, DC, 20005




NTI Experts Available for 2016 Nuclear Security Summit

News

NTI Experts Available for 2016 Nuclear Security Summit

While the three previous Nuclear Security Summits have resulted in much progress to secure the world’s vulnerable nuclear materials, significant security gaps remain.




2015


2014



NTI Index Report in Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French & Spanish

News

NTI Index Report in Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French & Spanish

Download the Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, or Spanish translations of the 2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index report’s foreword, executive summary, and select country profiles.





VIDEO: The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism

News

VIDEO: The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism

A new, short video describes three real-world nuclear security breaches and the steps to prevent terrorists from getting a nuclear weapon.






2013


Gains in Global Nuclear Security

News

Gains in Global Nuclear Security

In January 2012, the NTI released their Nuclear Materials Security Index, a first-of-its-kind public assessment of nuclear materials security conditions in 176 countries.

2012




NTI Contributes to Inaugural Publication

News

NTI Contributes to Inaugural Publication

NTI contributes an article on the NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index to the inaugural INENS Insights publication, distributed at the NPT PrepCom in May 2012







NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index

News

NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index

The Index examines nuclear security conditions in 176 countries, underscoring that there is no global consensus on steps to secure nuclear materials.



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