Further Intrusion or Different Political Priorities? What are the Main Reasons Behind Countries Non-Signature of the IAEA Additional Protocol?

The Additional Protocol (AP) was agreed upon by the InternationalAtomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors in1997 after the discovery of Iraq’s clandestine attempted nuclearweapons program—and other nuclear proliferation events in theearly 1990s—as a way to strengthen and provide more effi cientsafeguards, extending the classical safeguards system. It providesbetter tools to carry out inspections on a more routine basis becauseit allows the IAEA to collect information on a country’snuclear activities, visit declared sites, and make unannounced visitsto declared sites. Currently, 140 countries have signed the AP.However, a number of countries with signifi cant nuclear-relatedactivities have not yet signed the AP. This paper assesses the motivationsbehind these countries’ reluctance toward signing the AP,questioning whether it is because of the burden of safeguards andfurther intrusion, or whether it is because of different politicalpriorities. The paper suggests that it is important to understandthe reasons behind why some countries will not sign the AP sothat these reservations can, in time, be overcome.