World leaders urge action against nuke terrorism

As the two-day nuclear security summit came to a close on Tuesday, the world leaders renewed their commitment to work towards strengthening nuclear security and reducing the threats of nuclear terrorism by preventing criminals and unauthorised actors from acquiring the nuclear materials. An eleven-point communiqué released at the end of the event highlighted the nexus between nuclear security and safety in the aftermath of the Fukushima incident, marking a difference between this document and the one issued after the 2010 Washington Summit. The Washington communiqué primarily provided a work plan to the participating States, reminding them of their fundamental responsibility to maintain effective control of all nuclear materials and nuclear facilities under their control. Reiterating their commitment to continue the effort to create a safer world, the participating leaders reaffirmed that the measures to strengthen nuclear security would not hamper the right of the states to develop and utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. This is significant as Pakistan has been seeking a non-discriminatory access to nuclear technology for peaceful uses, including nuclear power generation, to meet its growing energy requirements.
Another point which Pakistan has been emphasising in the days leading up to the just-concluded summit and in bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the event was about strengthening the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency instead of setting up parallel institutions or adopting new mechanism. The summit agreed to make the IAEA more effective, recognising its role in international cooperation and supporting the efforts of States to fulfill their nuclear security responsibilities. But experts here fail to understand how it would translate into real action. The communiqué stated: “We reaffirm the essential responsibility and central role of the IAEA in strengthening the international security framework and recognise the value of the IAEA Nuclear Security Plan 2010-2013. We’ll work to ensure that the IAEA continues to have appropriate structure, resources and expertise needed to support the implementation of nuclear security objectives. To this end, we encourage States in a position to do so and the nuclear industry to increase voluntary contributions to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund, as well as in-kind contributions. We also encourage continued IAEA activities to assist, upon request, national efforts to establish and enhance nuclear security infrastructure through its various support programs, and encourage States to make use of these IAEA resources.” What appeared to be a major achievement of the participating leaders was that they agreed to minimise the use of HEU, including through the conversion of reactors from highly enriched to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, by the end of 2013. Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the summit, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak told the representatives of the international media that though this decision was voluntary, it showed the will of the participants. It may be mentioned that the United States, Belgium, France and the Netherlands already signed a multilateral agreement in this regard on the first day of the summit. The communiqué called upon all States to enhance their physical protection of and accounting system for nuclear materials, emergency preparedness and response capabilities and relevant legal and regulatory framework. It also emphasised the need for various public diplomacy and outreach efforts to enhance public awareness of actions taken and capacities built to address threats to nuclear security. The world leaders reaffirmed to continue making voluntary and substantive efforts towards strengthening nuclear security and implementing political commitments made in this regard. They welcomed the information provided by the participants on the progress made since the Washington Summit.