Press Release - Nuclear Security Summit 2016 Action Plan in Support of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction

The Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (Global Partnership or GP) contributes to development, coordination, implementation and finance of new or expanded cooperation projects in various areas including nuclear and radiological security, and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. Its members work unilaterally, bilaterally and multilaterally, according to their respective means. The Nuclear Security Summit Communiqués of Washington (2010), Seoul (2012) and the Hague (2014), and the Work Plan of the 2010 Summit recognised the contributions made by the Global Partnership to strengthening nuclear security and prevent terrorists, criminals and all other unauthorized non-state actors from acquiring this material, including through providing a valuable platform for funding and other assistance, coordination and cooperation on nuclear security programs and activities.

We will carry out this Action Plan consistent with national laws, policies, procedures, capabilities, and available resources to appropriately support implementation of the nuclear security-related mandates of this organization. This Action Plan also describes measures that we, in our roles as members, advocate that the GP pursue, through its decision-making bodies, in order to appropriately promote and advance nuclear security. Assistance in this plan is to be provided upon request of a recipient state.

ACTIONS:

A. FOCUSED AREAS OF COORDINATION AND FUNDING IN NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL SECURITY

(Note: Following areas of focus will be reviewed every 2-3 years for possible updates by the Global Partnership.)

ENHANCEMENT OF NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY REGIMES

1. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on the development of Nuclear Security Culture and Personnel Reliability Programs.

2. Provide assistance to and coordinate their programs and activities towards reducing insider threats.

3. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on strengthening measures of transportation security and the sharing of good practices and lessons learned among the relevant industries and Centers of Excellence (COEs) working on transportation of nuclear material, without detriment to the protection of sensitive information.

4. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on enhancing nuclear security, exploring the development of alternative technologies, and end-of-life management for radioactive sources – especially high activity ones.

5. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on enhancing computer security, supporting the use of the IAEA Implementing Guide on Security of Nuclear Information by States and conducting scientist engagement, which is one of the priority areas of the Global Partnership.

6. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on training centers / COEs and in doing so, work collaboratively with the IAEA International Network for Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres.

7. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities that implement the actions of the Gift Basket on Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres / COEs.

8. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on support for equipment and maintenance of nuclear security systems, as well as the advice on the implementation of the IAEA's guidance document INFCIRC/225/Rev. 5.

9. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on the development of awareness training and exercise efforts for countering nuclear smuggling focused on interior law enforcement and emergency management personnel. Such assistance would also address sharing information and new technologies to enhance enforcement capacity of customs and border personnel, collaborating with INTERPOL.

NUCLEAR FORENSICS

10. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on strengthening nuclear forensics capacities by ways of, inter alia, exchange of experts and support for upgrading capacities of nuclear forensics, collaborating with other international initiatives such as the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT).

DISPOSITION AND CONVERSION OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS

11. Provide assistance to and coordinate programs and activities on the safe, secure and timely consolidation of nuclear materials inside countries, removal of such material to other countries for disposal, down-blending highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU), converting plutonium to mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, reducing stockpiles of separated plutonium, and minimizing HEU, where technically and economically feasible.

B. GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS AREAS

1. Consider risks that may result in nuclear and other radioactive material, goods or devices falling into malicious hands, or where malicious actors may attack sensitive facilities or transports.

C. GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP ENHANCEMENT

STRENGTHENING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP MATCHMAKING

1. Advocate the organisation of at least one assistance matchmaking event a year. Organisers are expected to align project proposals with Global Partnership priorities, share proposals in advance of meetings, and allot time in the Global Partnership Working Group (GPWG) meetings for presentation and discussion of the proposals.

2. Advocate for the Global Partnership to work with the UNSCR 1540 Group of Experts to develop a process for matching resources with UNSCR 1540 requests.

3. Advocate for the Global Partnership to work with the IAEA on matching Global Partnership donors with requesting states to respond to gaps or needs as identified through IAEA Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan (INSSP) missions.

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH THE OTHER INTERNATIONAL FORA

4. Advocate for the Global Partnership to cooperate with the UN, the IAEA, INTERPOL and, when suitable, other relevant organizations and initiatives such as the GICNT, in coordinating information sharing, lessons learned, good practices, guidance and resources, recognizing the central coordination role of the IAEA, including active participation of relevant Global Partnership representatives in IAEA-hosted Information Exchange Meetings in order that the activities of the Global Partnership support and complement the work of other international organizations and initiatives.

5. Advocate for the Global Partnership to strengthen its ties with other international organizations and initiatives that support nuclear and radiological security. These fora, most of which are represented at Global Partnership meetings, include the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 Committee, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the European Union (EU).

EXPANDING MEMBERSHIP

6. Continue to advocate for the Global Partnership to expand its membership, particularly from regions not well represented.

RAISING THE PROFILE WITH GP LEADERS, INCLUDING G7 LEADERS

7. Seek opportunities to continue to engage GP leaders, including G7 leaders, on nuclear security.

PROMOTING THE WORK OF THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP IN NUCLEAR SECURITY

8. Advocate for the Chair of the Global Partnership to widely distribute the Global Partnership Annual Report beyond Global Partnership members to include other States and relevant international organisations.

9. Advocate that, where applicable, all Global Partnership members include the report and other references to nuclear security achievements of the Global Partnership on their own websites and other relevant media.

DEVELOPING A RAPID FUNDING RESPONSE CAPABILITY

10. Advocate for the Global Partnership members, whenever possible, to rapidly respond to unanticipated nuclear and radiological security situations by providing assistance to and coordinating their nuclear and radiological programs and activities to address those situations.

ENHANCING ACCOUNTING OF ASSISTANCE FUNDING FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY

11. Advocate for the Global Partnership to develop a more standardized process for accounting for the non-sensitive data submitted to the Chair of the Global Partnership for the annual Global Partnership Annex of financial and in-kind expenditures on nuclear and radiological security.