In Focus: Nuclear Security Summit, April 12-13

Updated March 17, 2010
By Sarah Diehl and Paula Humphrey
In April 2009 in Prague, President Obama pledged to address the international threat posed by nuclear weapons and nuclear materials by taking three steps: 1) reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear arsenals; 2) shoring up the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons; and 3) barring terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials. President Obama and his administration believe that nuclear terrorism is the "most immediate and extreme threat to global security." To address that threat, Obama has proposed that the international community make an effort to secure dangerous nuclear materials and to stop trade and transit of nuclear materials within four years. At the meeting between the Group of Eight (G8) leaders in L'Aquila, Italy, Obama announced plans to host a Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC in spring 2010. The date for the summit is now set for April 12-13 at the Washington Convention Center.

"President Obama addresses the UN Security Council regarding the threat of nuclear weapons, September 24, 2009."
Source: www.whitehouse.gov

The event will bring together approximately 40 world leaders[1] from both NPT and non-NPT member states to discuss steps to protect nuclear materials and disrupt attempts to commit nuclear terrorism. The goal of the summit is for participating nations to work together to improve their nuclear security infrastructures, share best practices, and raise international standards for nuclear security. According to a July 8, 2009 White House press release: "The planned outcome of the summit would be a communiqué pledging efforts to attain the highest levels of nuclear security, which is essential for international security as well as the developments and expansion of peaceful nuclear energy worldwide." In September 2009, the Obama administration reinforced the importance of the Nuclear Security Summit when the president presided over the UN Security Council meeting that adopted Resolution 1887 on nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament. Two key goals of this initiative are to secure nuclear materials and minimize the civil use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in order to mitigate the risk that terrorists will acquire and build a nuclear bomb or radiological device. (for more information on HEU see article below)
The possibility that terrorists will acquire nuclear materials is a real and growing threat, particularly as Al-Qaeda leaders have often voiced their interest in acquiring a nuclear weapon and as stockpiles of fissile materials continue to expand. Approximately 130 civilian nuclear reactors worldwide continue to utilize HEU.[2] The International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) issued a report in 2009 estimating that current stockpiles of HEU total approximately 1,300—1,900 metric tons (or the equivalent of 60,000 nuclear weapons). Stocks of separated plutonium are estimated at 475—525 metric tons, or enough to make approximately 60,000 first generation nuclear bombs.[3] Although a bomb based on plutonium as a component is more difficult to construct than one with HEU, both fissile materials are of concern to international security.
Various governments planning to attend the April summit have organized conferences in advance of the event in order to coordinate a more successful international summit. Japan indicated its commitment to nuclear security measures by hosting a conference for Asian countries in January 2010. The following month, the Netherlands led a preparatory meeting that took place in The Hague in order to further focus the goals of the April summit. Specifically, delegates at this February meeting worked on the preliminary formulation of a Joint Statement that is expected to be the final result of the April proceedings. The Fissile Materials Working Group (FMWG) also plans to conduct a pre-summit conference with participants from various NGOs.
International efforts to improve nuclear security have long been underway. In particular, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, in cooperation with 17 different countries, has worked to remove "significant" HEU stocks that could be of proliferation concern. The upcoming summit is also expected to build on several on-going initiatives by international organizations and treaty members to control illicit trade in nuclear materials.

• The Nuclear Suppliers Group, an organization with 46 participating states, provides advisory guidelines for export of nuclear and nuclear-related materials;
• UN Security Council Resolution 1540, adopted in 2004, requires all UN member states to implement measures aimed at preventing non-state actors from acquiring nuclear weapons, their means of delivery, and related materials;
• The Proliferation Security Initiative, established in 2003 by President George W. Bush, involves a worldwide effort to combat the trafficking of WMD using existing national and international authorities. The initiative is targeted specifically toward preventing potential proliferating states and non-state actors from acquiring WMD;
• The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism receives support from 77 partners, including governments and international organizations, which strive to implement the agreed-upon Statement of Principles to further combat nuclear terrorism;
• The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, with 141 state parties, governs the protection of nuclear material for peaceful purposes while it is being transported internationally;
• The Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction calls for the funding and implementation of projects organized by the G8 nations to prevent terrorist acquisition of WMD or related materials;
• The Cooperative Threat Reduction program, initiated by Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar, allocates funds for the decommissioning of former nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons facilities located in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union;
• UN Security Council Resolution 1887 underscores the Security Council's concern about WMD proliferation and draws attention to specific goals that must be pursued to mitigate this threat, including: a renewed commitment to a world devoid of nuclear weapons, a stronger NPT, and improved security measures to prevent acquisition of WMD; and
• The draft Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), if and when it enters into force, would forbid nations from producing plutonium and HEU; however, the FMCT remains largely deadlocked in negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament.

While the Nuclear Security Summit participants will no doubt focus on current efforts to halt nuclear trafficking in these types of materials, analysts have also urged that they adopt new initiatives as well as measures for post-summit implementation. One analyst in particular has called for specific reporting schedules to ensure commitment to the goals outlined by the summit.[4] Criticism of the proposed goals extends to members of Congress, some of whom have expressed skepticism that all nuclear materials can be secured within four years.

Why Highly Enriched Uranium is a Threat

Updated September 2009
 The most difficult challenge for a terrorist organization seeking to build a nuclear weapon or improvised nuclear device is obtaining fissile material, either plutonium or highly enriched uranium (HEU). HEU, uranium that has been processed to increase the proportion of the U-235 isotope to over 20%, is required for the construction of a gun-type nuclear device, the simplest type of nuclear weapon. The greater the proportion of U-235 (i.e. the higher the enrichment level), the less material is needed to cause a nuclear detonation. "Weapons-grade" uranium generally refers to uranium enriched to at least 90%, but material of far lower enrichment levels, found in both fresh and spent nuclear fuel, can be used to create a nuclear explosive device........click link above to read the rest of the article