Press Release - Nuclear Security Summit 2016 Action Plan in Support of the International Atomic Energy Agency

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has the essential responsibility and the central role in strengthening the international nuclear security architecture and the leading role in developing international nuclear security guidance, coordinating nuclear security activities among international organisations and other international initiatives and providing support to States upon their request. A strengthened role of the IAEA is crucial for the continuing delivery of outcomes and actions from the nuclear security summits.

Participating States will carry out this Action Plan consistent with national laws, policies, procedures, capacities, 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 Member States, advocate that the IAEA 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. HIGH LEVEL SUPPORT FOR THE IAEA'S NUCLEAR SECURITY ACTIVITIES

1. Support the IAEA to continue convening regular ministerial meetings on nuclear security to promote political commitment, enhance awareness and keep momentum on strengthening the global nuclear security architecture and achieving high standards of nuclear security in all States, and to participate in such meetings at a high level.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to continue to develop and implement its Nuclear Security Plans to address current and emerging nuclear security issues.

3. Contribute effectively to the implementation of the IAEA Nuclear Security Plan, including through reliable and sufficient resources.

4. Provide the appropriate political, technical and financial support and continue to contribute, on a voluntary basis, to the Nuclear Security Fund.

5. Enhance the importance of nuclear security within the IAEA and achieve a suitable balance between the IAEA's nuclear security program and nuclear safety program thereby making them more effective and efficient and taking advantage of synergies between the respective programs.

B. COORDINATION ROLE OF THE IAEA

1. Advocate for the IAEA to continue its leading role in coordinating international nuclear security activities, and to encourage continued interaction with relevant institutions and other international initiatives in order to enhance cooperation and avoid duplication and overlap of activities.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to continue organizing on a regular basis Information Exchange Meetings with other relevant international nuclear security institutions and initiatives, including the United Nations, INTERPOL, Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) and the Global Partnership.

3. Advocate for the IAEA to coordinate the cooperation and complementary activities between Centres of Excellence (COEs) and other relevant centres, including through the Nuclear Security Support Centre (NSSC) and International Nuclear Security Education Networks, to promote their sustainability.

4. Advocate for the IAEA to develop for COEs/NSSCs a process for sharing good practices, requesting peer review and harmonizing of their course content on the basis of the Nuclear Security Series.

5. Support regional networks on nuclear security in conjunction with the IAEA.

C. CONVENTION ON THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL (CPPNM) AND ITS 2005 AMENDMENT

1. Encourage the earliest possible entry-into-force of the amended CPPNM and seek its universalization.

– Participating States that have ratified the 2005 Amendment to the CPPNM commit to, together with the IAEA, reach out to and encourage all States that have not yet done so to deposit their instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval as a matter of urgency.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to play a central role in assisting States Parties in the implementation of the CPPNM and its 2005 Amendment, including States Parties informing the IAEA of their laws and regulations in accordance with Article 14.1 of the Convention.

3. Advocate for the IAEA to continue to organise and support regular meetings of CPPNM Points of Contact to support and promote their active engagement and to further facilitate the implementation of CPPNM and its 2005 Amendment, including the sharing of good practices.

4. For States Parties to the CPPNM, advocate for the Director General of the IAEA, in his or her role as depositary, to convene regular review conferences, as provided for in Article 16.2 of the Convention, further to the conference to be convened by States Parties after the entry into force of its 2005 Amendment.

D. PROVISION OF GUIDANCE

1. Advocate for the IAEA to continue its central role to develop guidance documents on nuclear security, in particular through the Nuclear Security Series, and

– meet the intent of the Fundamentals and Recommendations contained in these documents;

– share experiences on the implementation of nuclear security guidance;

– support the development of the nuclear security guidance in accordance with the Roadmap agreed by the Nuclear Security Guidance Committee;

– take further advantage of the synergies between nuclear security and nuclear safety while acknowledging the distinctions between the two areas; and

– use IAEA guidance to expand efforts to strengthen preventive and protective measures against insider threats at nuclear facilities, including through the use of nuclear material accountancy and control systems.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to continue developing and updating the existing guidance, including through the Nuclear Security Series, for the management of radioactive sources, complementing the guidance in the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, and assisting States in implementing such guidance.

E. IAEA SERVICES FOR STATES

1. Use the IAEA's extensive nuclear security services and to make available experts to the IAEA to carry out these services, including the International Physical Protection Advisory Service, International Nuclear Security Advisory Service, nuclear security training, exercises, education and workshops. Furthermore Participating States advocate for the IAEA to:

– continue to use Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plans to assist States' efforts to establish effective and sustainable national nuclear security regimes.

– share good practices and lessons learned resulting from using its nuclear security services and to improve these services to reflect current international instruments, standards and guidance; and

– continue seeking opportunities for greater advocacy and outreach to Member States on nuclear security and its nuclear security services.

2. Undertake IAEA review and advisory missions of nuclear security periodically and

– take into account the resulting recommendations;

– make review and advisory services complementary to States' national review arrangements;

– communicate more generously the results of missions in such manner that this does not compromise the confidentiality of sensitive information;

– contribute to the pool of experts available to the IAEA's review and advisory missions; and

– assist the IAEA in drawing lessons from how international organizations and States carry out review and advisory services in other comparable areas.

3. Advocate for the IAEA to use Coordinated Research Projects and working groups to tackle emerging nuclear security issues and disseminate the results and to facilitate the implementation of key nuclear security activities.

4. Use information sharing mechanisms managed by the IAEA to build domestic, regional and international confidence in the effectiveness of national nuclear security regimes.

F. NUCLEAR MATERIAL

1. Work with the IAEA to minimize the use of HEU, where technically and economically feasible, through the conversion of reactor fuel from HEU to LEU and the development and qualification of LEU fuels for high performance research reactors.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to support Member States' efforts to further develop, promote and use non-HEU-based technologies for the production of medical radioisotopes, including through the exploration of financial incentives that may contribute to the overall goal of long-term economic sustainability.

3. Advocate for the IAEA to support efforts to maintain an assured and reliable supply of medical isotopes.

4. Advocate for the IAEA to support States' efforts to keep their stockpiles of separated plutonium to the minimum level, consistent with their national requirements.

5. Advocate for the IAEA to expand efforts to facilitate the removal and disposition of nuclear material from facilities no longer using them.

G. TRANSPORT

1. Advocate for the IAEA to increase attention given to the security of nuclear and other radioactive material in transport, including by:

– producing guidance documents and facilitating associated exercises, training and capacity building activities; and

– organizing the sharing of good practices and lessons learned from transporting nuclear and other radioactive material, among Member States, relevant industries and COEs/NSSCs, while protecting sensitive information.

H. RESPONSE TO NUCLEAR SECURITY EVENTS

1. Advocate for the IAEA to increase attention given to the response to nuclear security events by:

– producing guidance documents and facilitating associated exercises, training and capacity building activities;

– organizing the sharing of good practices and lessons learned, while protecting sensitive information.

I. RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

1. Implement the IAEA's Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, if not yet done so, and to follow its Supplementary Guidance.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to promote and facilitate technical exchanges of experience, knowledge and good practices on the use and security of high activity radioactive sources and the exploration of alternative technologies.

3. Advocate for the IAEA to facilitate further cooperation among suppliers and users of radioactive sources on management of radioactive sources no longer in use.

J. NUCLEAR AND OTHER RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL OUT OF REGULATORY CONTROL

1. Advocate for the IAEA to strengthen national nuclear detection capabilities and architectures by developing guidance, training, workshops and exercises, facilitating the exchange of good practices and providing a forum for discussion and cooperation.

2. Strengthen information-sharing on incidents involving nuclear or other radioactive material, especially through the IAEA Incident and Trafficking Data Base.

K. NUCLEAR SECURITY CULTURE

1. Enhance the practice of nuclear security culture such that it is infused into all elements of national nuclear security regimes.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to increase its assistance to States to develop and foster nuclear security culture, including through published guidance and related self-assessment and training materials.

L. NUCLEAR FORENSICS

1. Advocate for the IAEA to advance and sustain States' nuclear forensics capabilities, including through building upon the expertise of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group, by developing guidance documents, promoting international nuclear forensics cooperation, sharing experiences and knowledge, and supporting the development of national nuclear material databases or national nuclear forensics libraries.

M. COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SECURITY

1. Work with the IAEA to raise awareness of the threat of cyber attacks with potential impacts on nuclear security and promote computer and information security with regard to nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.

2. Advocate for the IAEA to produce guidance and training, to address information security and the threat of cyber attacks against nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.

3. Advocate for the IAEA to develop a proposed methodology for the reporting by Member States of incidents associated with cyber or computer security attacks on nuclear or radiological facilities, while ensuring the protection of sensitive information.

4. Advocate for the IAEA to coordinate research and information exchange to promote resilience against cyber attacks, guidance for computer security regulations for the nuclear domain, and develop methods to foster and sustain computer expertise for nuclear security.

5. Advocate for the IAEA to develop guidance on maintaining confidentiality, integrity and trustworthiness of information pertaining to nuclear or other radioactive material encountered outside of regulatory control.