2014 Nuclear Security Summit Resources

On March 24-25, world leaders will gather to address the threat of nuclear terrorism, which President Obama has called "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security."

The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit is being held at a time of both progress and peril in the international effort to secure the materials that could be used to build a nuclear bomb. Since 2012, seven countries have removed all or most of these dangerous materials from their territories, bringing the number of countries now storing weapons-usable materials down to 25.

Despite this progress, there is much work to be done. Terrorist organizations continue to seek weapons of mass destruction, materials are still stored at hundreds of sites with varying levels of security, and the International Atomic Energy Agency each year receives reports of more than one hundred incidents of theft and other unauthorized activity involving nuclear and radiological material.

NTI offers extensive resources and experts on nuclear security and the summit.  Follow us on Twitter or Facebook, review the materials below, or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. 

Members of the press can contact us to reach experts in Washington, DC and in The Hague during the summit.
 

Provided below are resources covering the following:

• Nuclear Security Basics
• The Nuclear Threat
• NTI's Take on the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit
• Progress & Challenges in Securing Materials
• The 2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index & Recommendations
• In-Depth Resources
   

Nuclear Security Basics

• Explainer: What Are Nuclear Materials? – A basic guide to understanding highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium, the materials terrorists could use to make a nuclear weapon.
• The State of Global Nuclear Security by NTI Co-Chairman Sam Nunn – An overview of current threats, recent progress and ongoing challenges in nuclear security, from the NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index.

The Nuclear Threat

• Understanding the Nuclear Threat – A short primer on the threat posed by nuclear weapons.
• Video: The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism  – A three-minute video describes three real-world nuclear security breaches and the steps to prevent terrorists from getting a nuclear weapon.
• Remarks at the Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities – Sam Nunn offers "fact or fiction" scenarios to reveal the scope of the nuclear security threat.

NTI's Take on the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit

• 2014 & 2016 Nuclear Security Summits:  Raising Awareness and Prompting Action – An overview of what to expect at the Hague Summit and the path to 2016. 
• "Give Nuclear Security a Chance" – An op-ed by NTI's Joan Rohlfing on why nuclear security is a shared responsibility and what leaders should agree on at the 2014 summit.
• "The 85%" – An op-ed from a group of former high-level defense officials, including NTI board members Des Browne and Malcolm Rifkind, builds on NTI Index findings and highlights the vast quantity of nuclear material outside international mechanisms.
• “No Time to Waste: Steps for Success for the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit and Beyond” – An op-ed by NTI’s Deepti Choubey, identifies key steps states should take to tap the full potential of the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit and lay the ground work for success afterwards. 
• NTI Recommendations – NTI's recommendations for states and the global community to prevent the theft of weapons-usable nuclear material. Recommendations are summarized in this infographic from the 2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index.
• Endorsements for Key NTI Recommendations   –The Washington Post editorial board wrote, “Perhaps the most important finding in the study is connected not to any single nation but rather to the lack of a global system of oversight.” A New York Times editorial called for leaders to “push this agenda forward when they meet in The Hague for their third nuclear summit meeting this March.”
• The Future of Global Nuclear Security Policy Summit – Transcript, webcast and remarks by Sen. Nunn previewing the summit, with keynote by Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, National Security Council and commentary from Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, Will Tobey, Matt Bunn, Jane Harman, Ambassador Aas of Norway, and Secretary-General Renee Jones-Bos of The Netherlands. 
• Nuclear Security Summit Fact Sheet – Learn about the Nuclear Security Summit process, how it got started what it has achieved.
• “Strengthening the Global Nuclear Security System” – A paper developed through NTI’s Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities describes what is needed for securing nuclear materials globally. 

Progress & Challenges in Securing Materials

• Video: Eliminating Dangerous Nuclear Materials –  This four-minute video highlights the actions of seven countries — Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico, Sweden, Ukraine, and Vietnam — to remove their weapons-usable nuclear materials since 2012.
• History of States Eliminating Material (chart) — Countries that have eliminated nuclear materials since 1991. 
• "Global Community Makes Progress, as Seven Countries Remove Weapons-Usable Nuclear Materials" – An article with commentary from NTI Co-Chairman Sam Nunn and President Joan Rohlfing, as well as facts about removal operations.
• "Leadership from Congress Critical to Ensuring Global Nuclear Security" – An op-ed by Joan Rohlfing calls on Congress to pass long overdue legislation to ratify two key treaties to prevent nuclear terrorism.
• Remarks by Sam Nunn to the American Nuclear Society – Sam Nunn desscribes the race between cooperation and catastrophe and outlines two key steps for increased security.

The 2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index & Recommendations

• The 2014 NTI  Index – A unique public assessment of nuclear materials security conditions in 176 countries developed with the Economist Intelligence Unit to assess the security of nuclear materials around the world and to encourage governments to take actions and provide assurances about the security of the world’s deadliest materials. Excerpts available in Russian, Arabic, French and Chinese.
• NTI  Index Country Profiles – See176 country profiles with information about strengths and weaknesses on steps taken to improve nuclear materials security. 
• Recommendations for Individual States – From reducing or eliminating materials to strengthening physical security measures, all states have a shared responsibility to prevent weapons-usable nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands.
• Recommendations for the International Community – States should work cooperatively to build an effective nuclear security system with international standards and best practices that covers all weapons-usable nuclear materials and holds states accountable to each other.

In-Depth Resources

• Nuclear Security Primer: The Existing System – A reference to existing nuclear security legal agreements, guidelines, initiatives, organizations and more.
• “The IAEA’s Nuclear Security Role” – Commissioned by NTI, Trevor Findlay, of both the Belfer Center at Harvard and Carlton University in Ottawa, assesses the IAEA’s nuclear security role.
• “The Nuclear Security Mission Beyond 2014: Options for Addressing Governance Gaps” – NTI Counselor John Carlson provides options for what can happen after the Nuclear Security Summit process ends.

See resources from other organizations who are part of the Fissile Material Working Group.