DEVELOPMENT OF THE IAEA NUCLEAR SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS ON PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS AND NUCLEAR FACILITIES (INFCIRC/225/Rev.5)

Following more than 3 years of work, the IAEA published in January 2011 the fifth revision of INFCIRC/225, its recommendations on The Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities which will also be a Recommendations document in its Nuclear Security series. The previous revision of this document was published in 1999, since which time there has been a significant increase in the intent and capability of sub-national groups who pose a threat to nuclear material and facilities. INFCIRC/225 has been substantially revised to take not only this into account, but also the new international instruments related to physical protection, especially the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM). INFCIRC/225 has achieved high international status through being referenced in many bilateral nuclear cooperation/supply agreements (and more recently in the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism) as the standard to be taken into account in protecting nuclear material. This paper recalls the history of the development of INFCIRC/225 and describes the background to its most recent revision, as well as the process and approach adopted during this revision. This was considerably more complex than previously because of the need to agree boundaries between it and two new IAEA Recommendations documents being developed concurrently, whilst ensuring a consistent approach to the development of all three documents. Significant changes to INFCIRC/225 are detailed, such as new sections on the location and recovery of missing or stolen nuclear material and mitigating the radiological consequences of sabotage. Re-structuring the chapter on the State’s regime against the Physical Protection Fundamental Principles and the essential elements identified in the draft IAEA Fundamentals has resulted in clearer and more comprehensive coverage of this aspect. Throughout the chapters on the protection of material during use, storage and transport, more emphasis is now placed upon a performance-based approach. Revision 5 will facilitate ratification and implementation of the Amendment to the CPPNM by providing greater clarity on its provisions, as well as serve as a global reference point for physical protection for the next 10 years.