NTI Headlines Nuclear Conference in Jordan

 Last month, we traveled to Jordan for the Amman Security
Colloquium and Nuclear Forum, an annual gathering of leading experts from the
Arab World to discuss contemporary security issues. Organized by the Arab
Institute for Security Studies (ACSIS), the Security Colloquium and Nuclear
Forum attracted more than 100 participants from dozens of countries, including
the Crown Princess of Jordan and the Vice President of Iraq. NTI has been a
proud sponsor of the Nuclear Forum since its inception in 2014, and we’re
pleased to say that it’s quickly become the premier regional forum for dialogue
and debate on nuclear issues.

This year, the Nuclear Forum focused largely on the Iran
Nuclear Agreement (the JCPOA), the WMD Free Zone in the Middle East, and the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Conference participants echoed
considerable frustration at the lack of progress on a WMD Free Zone in the
Middle East and discussed possible implications for the nuclear
non-proliferation regime. Time will tell whether key regional players – as well
as the NPT nuclear weapons states – will be able to deliver on convening a
conference on the Zone. One thing is for sure: the lack of a Zone will be a key
challenge for the nonproliferation community as we head into the next NPT Review
Conference in 2020.

NTI’s Deborah Rosenblum headlined the opening of the Nuclear
Forum, conveying the importance
of radiological security in a region with many potentially dangerous
radioactive sources. She also previewed the release of a groundbreaking
new NTI report on cyber security and implications for nuclear facilities.

The report, released last week at the IAEA International
Conference on Nuclear Security in Vienna, offers nine priorities for
governments, industry and international organizations to get ahead of the growing
cyber threat. “We know that governments and industry are working to address
vulnerabilities, but getting ahead of the increasingly sophisticated threat is
difficult,” Rosenblum said.

Meanwhile, Leon Ratz spoke at a
parallel event with students and young professionals about the threat of
nuclear terrorism and about NTI’s next generation outreach efforts. (Highlight
of Leon’s day was meeting – and taking a selfie with – Ambassador Mohamed
Shaker, author of the definitive history of the NPT negotiations which was an
invaluable resource for his college thesis!)

NTI is already looking forward to working with the terrific
team at ACSIS to build on the success of this year’s Amman Nuclear Forum.