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Nuclear security recommendations from The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index Global Priorities for Security Needed All Governments Can Do More WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ “…….Recommendations
NTI recommends actions for the global community to take, in parallel with steps to improve state stewardship.

Build the Foundation for a Global Nuclear Materials Security System

• Establish an international dialogue on priorities for materials security through the Nuclear Security Summit or a subsequent process
• Benchmark progress and hold states accountable for security
• Build appropriate transparency to increase international confidence by:
  • Publishing and providing access to nuclear materials security regulations
  • Declaring nuclear materials inventories
  • Inviting regular peer reviews
• Stop increasing stocks of weapons-usable materials

Improve State Stewardship of Nuclear Materials

• Eliminate weapons-usable nuclear materials completely in as many states as possible
• Strengthen security and control measures, including physical protection, control and accounting, and personnel measures at facilities and during transport of nuclear materials
• Bring all civil uranium enrichment and reprocessing facilities under IAEA safeguards
• Better target assistance to states with urgent needs
• Ratify and implement existing materials security-related treaties.

“The NTI Index underscores that all countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials have a responsibility to account for them, to take steps to secure them, and to provide continued assurances to the rest of the world that those materials are not at risk for theft or diversion,” said Deepti Choubey, NTI senior director for nuclear and bio-security and co-leader of the Index.

2012 Nuclear Security Summit
The March summit provides an opportunity for much-needed international dialogue on priorities for materials security.  “Countries participating in the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul can use the Index to stimulate discussion and define future commitments,” said Page Stoutland, NTI vice president, nuclear materials security program and Index co-leader.

“This is not about congratulating some countries and chastising others. We are highlighting the universal responsibility of states to secure the world’s most dangerous materials,” said Nunn.  “As citizens and as leaders, we need to ask ourselves this question: If we had a catastrophic nuclear terrorist attack on Moscow or New York, on Tokyo or Tel Aviv, or on any other city in the world, what steps would we wish we had taken to prevent it?”

The Index website (www.ntiindex.org) includes the NTI report with the full results, findings and recommendations in an easily accessible format, including all country summaries as well as interactive tools for visitors to select their own priorities and weighting of categories and indicators.

The project was funded by NTI with support from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

About the Nuclear Threat Initiative
The Nuclear Threat Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.  NTI is co-chaired by Sam Nunn and Ted Turner and governed by a board of directors with members from nine countries.  More information can be found at www.nti.org

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nti-launches-nuclear-materials-security-index-137090898.html

January 12, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety