Less risk of theft and sabotage
The comprehensively amended International Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities has been in force for a few days. The convention, which previously referred to the protection of nuclear material during transports, now also applies to nuclear facilities. The amended convention has now been signed by more than 100 states and can thus enter into force.
"With the changed Convention the only legally binding global instrument for effective protection of nuclear materials against theft and sabotage will be considerably strengthened," said Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks in Germany. The convention is thus an important building block for reducing the global risk of terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities, she added.
The Convention regulates the protection of international nuclear shipments against theft and was a first milestone for an internationally binding minimum standard for these shipments. The Convention defines the duties and responsibilities of the States Parties and regulates cooperation and mutual assistance.
The amendment to the Convention broadly expands the scope and objective. The contracting states would now commit themselves to using a national system to protect nuclear material during any peaceful use not only against theft but also against sabotage and to minimize the radiological consequences of acts of sabotage, according to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The catalog of punishable acts and the rules for international cooperation have also been expanded.
