Safeguards Cooperation Experience between the United States and Indonesia through the International Nuclear Safeguards and Engagement Program (INSEP)

Since signing an Arrangement for Cooperation in Nuclear Material Security and Safeguards Technology in 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) International Nuclear Safeguards and Engagement Program (INSEP) and the Indonesian Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) have a well-established history of cooperation in nuclear nonproliferation and safeguards. With Indonesia poised to begin the development of a nuclear power program, BAPETEN and INSEP have engaged in a number of activities aimed at strengthening Indonesia’s safeguards and nonproliferation infrastructure. As the only country in Southeast Asia with integrated safeguards designation, Indonesia already successfully meets IAEA’s safeguards requirements. However, BAPETEN has sought to achieve better effectiveness and efficiency in its safeguards implementation by integrating technologies and processes that are on par with international best practices applied in other countries. For example, BAPETEN staff want to better understand the equipment and techniques to improve nuclear material measurements at the fuel fabrication facility which produces fuel for the MPR-30 research reactor at PUSPIPTEK, Serpong and at the three research reactors located within their country. The regulator also wanted a local capability to train its safeguards staff and potentially staff from the neighboring countries. To this end, BAPETEN and DOE engaged in a multi-year cooperation to develop a safeguards laboratory at the BAPETEN Headquarters in Jakarta that would be used by the Indonesian and international safeguards professionals alike. This paper focuses on the experience of the BAPETEN-DOE collaborative efforts to develop a nuclear safeguards laboratory and transfer nuclear material measurement capabilities as the successful example of enhancing the international safeguards system through State-to-State cooperation.