Plans for Seoul Nuclear Summit in March 2012

President Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons and identified nuclear terrorism as the most serious threat to international security

The Seoul Nuclear Summit, The National Interest, JAN-FEB 2012 issue Miles A. Pomper, Michelle E. Dover , January 4, 2012 “….late this March, fifty or so leaders will descend on Seoul to track progress since the last summit and make a batch of fresh commitments.While their presence is sure to be heralded by the U.S. government, Korean citizens are likely to be less welcoming.

Many in Korea find it strange that their government should be putting so much effort into an event on nuclear terrorism when nuclear threats from North Korea and the effects of the Fukushima accident in Japan appear to be more pressing issues for the peninsula. Other countries share similar concerns, believing that the United States has devoted too much attention to the threat of nuclear terrorism at the expense of nonproliferation, safety and disarmament issues…..

IN A 2009 speech in Prague, President Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons and identified nuclear terrorism as the most serious threat to international security. His focus was on nuclear-security measures aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to intentional human actions such as theft of nuclear material or sabotage of nuclear facilities. The international community has a long way to go before it can address such issues effectively, however. Some limited international mechanisms cover aspects of the problem, but there is no comprehensive international framework for nuclear security…..

[In 2010] The White House announced that fifty-four national commitments were made by twenty-nine countries. These included pledges to donate money to the IAEA, remove or secure nuclear material, prevent nuclear smuggling, ratify or support existing conventions and treaties, and convert reactors from running on nuclear-weapons-usable highly enriched uranium (HEU) to safer low-enriched uranium (LEU)…….

AS THE Seoul meeting approaches, attention has shifted from the accomplishments and weaknesses of the Washington summit to the goals, content and scope of the next meeting. Everyone anticipates that South Korea will adapt its summit to reflect current events and its own regional concerns, including tensions with North Korea, spent-fuel management and the aftermath of the Fukushima accident.

The preparation for the 2012 Seoul summit began more than a year ago with a November 2010 meeting of the “sherpas” (top officials from each country assigned to negotiate on issues before the summit) in Buenos Aires. The meeting was meant to review progress on the completion of national commitments and begin floating ideas for the next conference. Nine concepts emerged:…..

http://nationalinterest.org/article/the-seoul-nuclear-summit-6284

January 5, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety

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