Nuclear Security Takes Important Step Forward

In her latest blog post, NTI President Joan Rohlfing discusses the importance of the entry into force of a major amendment to the Convention for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials. Posted on World Post, Rohlfing writes:

“Imagine a truck carrying weapons-usable nuclear materials leaving a well-secured facility. The armored vehicle moves through a series of secure gates, guarded by people with guns. Its destination? A nuclear research reactor half-way around the world. Is the reactor as secure as the facility it left? Does that country have a legal framework to provide effective security? Does it even require effective physical protection for the reactor?

“Last week, the answers to all of these questions could have been “no.” But today, you, your friends, and the world are all safer because an amendment to a treaty you’ve never heard of is now in force.

“Despite its clunky acronym and relative obscurity, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) is the only legally binding international agreement focusing on the physical protection of peaceful-use (read: non-military) nuclear materials. Under the original agreement, countries are required to provide appropriate security for nuclear materials during international transport. The amendment, which just came into effect, expands the scope of the treaty to also include the storage and use of such materials at nuclear facilities and the protection of those facilities against sabotage.”

Read the full post here.