February 2020 Global Dialogue

NTI convened the 11th meeting of the Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities in Vienna, Austria, on February 16-18, 2020. This meeting was attended by government officials from 18 countries, representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations (UN), and the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), as well as industry and non-governmental experts from around the world.

The meeting addressed five topics:

• The 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS): The group reflected on themes and lessons learned from ICONS, and discussed how to build upon ICONS to sustain political attention on nuclear security and to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. The opening discussion featured a presentation by Ambassador Christian Istrate, Head of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the International Organizations in Vienna, and who co-chaired ICONS.
• The amended CPPNM Review Conference: The group discussed preparations for the 2021 conference to review the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) and how to build a strong, effective, and sustainable regime. The discussion focused on two key issues for the review: when and how to make a decision to hold future review conferences, and how to be inclusive of different sets of parties and to non-government organizations and industry. This discussion was supported by an NTI Paper Strengthening Nuclear Security with a Sustainable CPPNM Regime by Samantha Neakrase, Senior Director of Materials Risk Management, NTI, and featured a presentation by Dr. Rob Floyd, Director General, Australian Safeguards and Nonproliferation Office.
• Trends in Nuclear Security: The amended CPPNM review’s purpose is to review implementation and adequacy of the convention “in the light of the then prevailing situation.” The group heard presentations of three papers looking at different elements of the “prevailing situation:” Assessing Trends in Nuclear Security that Impact the Prevailing Situation: Non-Nuclear Emerging Technologies – Cyber and Artificial Intelligence by Dr. Jor-shan Choi, Berkeley Nuclear Research Center (affiliated), The Risks and Rewards of Emerging Technology in Nuclear Security by Nickolas Roth, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Nuclear Materials Management Trends: Past and Future by Laura Holgate, Vice President of Materials Risk Management, NTI and Jessica Bufford, Program Officer Materials Risk Management. The group then considered how analysis about these and other trends that impact nuclear security could be incorporated into official preparations for the amended CPPNM review conference and why these trends demonstrate the need for regular review conferences.
• Strategic Plan for the IAEA: The group discussed the need for a strategic plan for the IAEA’s nuclear security work, identifying potential models for a strategic plan, the elements it should contain, and any obstacles for its development. This discussion was supported by the paper Elements of an IAEA Strategic Plan for Nuclear Security co-authored by Miles A. Pomper, Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and featured a presentation by Mr. Pomper.
• Priority Issues of Concern for 2020 and Beyond: The group discussed a range of future areas of concern, identifying priority nuclear security topics for the international community, and how the Global Dialogue process could help to address them. This discussion featured a presentation by Jack Edlow, President, Edlow International Company; and Ambassador Dr. György Molnár, Special Representative for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary.