I have been blogging a lot about nuclear security recently. The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is a series of conferences by representatives of many nations. Following a speech in 2009 highlighting the threat of nuclear terrorism, the U.S. President convened the first NSS in 2010 in Washington, DC to discuss political agreements. The second NSS was held in Seoul Korea in 2012 to consider what progress had been made on the proposed agreements. The third was at the Hague in the Netherlands in 2014 and was held to assess the success of the proposals and plan for the future. The most recent NSS was held in Washington, D.C., starting on March 30th.
The progress report for the 2016 NSS began with the statement that "participating States have reported a number of substantial actions and achievements that – individually and collectively – have strengthened nuclear security implementation at the national, regional, and international levels and built up the global nuclear security architecture."
The report included a number of general progress notes with respect to nuclear security :
· 40 participating states engaged in capacity building through training and exercises.
· 30 participating states have updated laws, regulations or structures.
· 20 participating states have been involved in peer review missions, some working with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Physical Protection Advisory Service.
· 18 participating states have improved the security of radioactive sources.
· 17 participating states have removed or disposed of nuclear materials.
· 16 participating states have ratified or implemented nuclear security treaties.
· 15 participating states have implemented physical security upgrades or obtained new equipment.
· 12 participating states have joined or launched international or regional nuclear security groups to promote cooperation.
· 12 participating states have provided funding for nuclear security.
· 10 participating states have taken steps to support or implement the United National Security Council Resolution 1540.
· China, Jordan and India have subscribed to the 2014 Joint Statement on Strengthening Nuclear Security Implementation (INFCIRC 869)
Considering the dangers posed by nuclear weapons and materials, the 2016 NSS report on progress is encouraging.
Unfortunately, the elephant that was not in the room was Russia. Last October, Russia informed the U.S. that it would not be participating in the 2016 NSS. The Russian Foreign Minister stated that "We shared with our American colleagues our doubts regarding the added value of a forum that is planned to be held in the United States in 2016," "We believe it is unacceptable to create a precedent of such outside interference into the work of international organizations," and "Washington is trying to assume the role of the main and privileged 'player' in this field." The foreign ministry also said that Russia would continue to focus on its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This is a serious blow to the intended purpose of the NSS and another sign of deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Russia. Russia is a major player in global nuclear affairs with its huge arsenal of nuclear weapons, fleet of nuclear reactors, many nuclear materials with questionable security, poor record on nuclear disposal, and ambitious plans for more weapons and reactors. It is critical that Russia be involve in any international effort to combat nuclear terrorism.
