International Nuclear Forensics Cooperation – Future Opportunities

The threats of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism call for international cooperation and improved measures to prevent, detect, and respond to incidents involving the illicit possession or use of nuclear or radiological materials. Nuclear forensic investigations provide a response and deterrent capability that requires the sharing of validated information on isotope measurements, chemical (trace element) compositions, and the physical form of matrices from across the nuclear fuel cycle as well as the processes used in their manufacture. Bi-lateral and multi-lateral engagements in nuclear forensics are essential to secure access to samples, data and subject matter expertise to attribute a terrorist nuclear event, determine the source of nuclear materials that could be used in an attack, identify those responsible, as well as verify declarations of the security of inventories of nuclear and radiological materials. National security sensitivities inherent in information sharing may complicate cooperation and will need to be addressed thoroughly. For this reason, cooperative programs are likely to require different mechanisms for engagement with existing nuclear forensic partners (United States, Australia, France, European Commission, Brazil, and Argentina), newly emerging forensics partners (United Kingdom and Canada), and states where partnerships could begin (Russian Federation, China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, South Asia, and South Africa). Existing programs and approaches can be expanded incrementally to establish a worldwide capability in nonproliferation nuclear forensics.