On September 27, NTI and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) hosted an event on the margins of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 67th General Conference to discuss key findings from the 2023 NTI Nuclear Security Index. The event, “The Road to Reviving Global Nuclear Security,” featured four experts from NTI’s Nuclear Materials Security program, Vice President Scott Roecker, Senior Directors Ross Matzkin-Bridger and Nickolas Roth, and Program Officer Jack Brosnan, and was moderated by VCDNP Executive Director Elena Sokova.
The 2023 NTI Index found that nuclear security conditions are regressing in the countries and areas with the greatest responsibility for preventing nuclear theft and sabotage, those with weapons-usable nuclear materials and nuclear facilities. The NTI Index’s recommendations offer a roadmap for restoring progress on nuclear security, addressing gaps in the global nuclear security architecture, and driving effective government action.
A diverse group of diplomats, nuclear security practitioners, and officials from the IAEA and other international organizations attended the Vienna event, which presented the NTI Index’s findings and recommendations in the context of governments’ preparations for the IAEA’s fourth International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS), coming up in May 2024. As the largest international nuclear security focused convening, ICONS is a key event for governments to announce nuclear security progress and commit to renewed activity. In the coming months, NTI will continue to engage with key nuclear security partners to promote action on the 2023 NTI Index’s findings and recommendations ahead of ICONS 2024.