Development of an Information Sharing Framework: Efforts at Regional Transparency in the Asia Pacific

The concept of regional nonproliferation transparency and an information sharing framework in the Asia Pacific stems from nearly two decades of bilateral safeguards cooperation between the U.S. and Japan and the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. Efforts have focused on remote monitoring, training and information security to establish effective tools for building confidence among developed and emerging nuclear energy states. The most recent effort, under Action Sheets PAS16 (U.S.-Japan) and AS26 (U.S.- Korea), seeks to establish the requirements for direct, transparent sharing of nonproliferation-, safeguards- and security-relevant information multilaterally in the Asia Pacific. The purpose is to complement the IAEA’s compliance-based safeguards system and build confidence in the region. During a December 2011 workshop co-hosted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), participants reviewed past collaborative transparency activities under U.S.-Korea and U.S.-Japan cooperation agreements, and discussed follow-on activities. Participants agreed that regional transparency for the Asia Pacific, in particular, is necessary to assist nuclear energy development across the region and to work toward reduction of regional tension. Tools and activities such as personnel exchanges, collaborative projects, workshops, meetings and training can accelerate the development of regional cooperation and confidence building. Moreover, in the absence of an established regional safeguards authority, the time is ideal for conceptualizing and practicing activities that can supplement IAEA safeguards and provide assurances to regional partners that nuclear energy programs are peaceful and that nuclear materials are protected. First and foremost, the effort must determine the criteria for sharing information and identify partner needs before defining the information content. In the aftermath of Fukushima and tremendous demands on the IAEA, it is evident that more voluntary action on the part of regional actors is needed to improve communication about issues including nuclear safeguards, security and safety. The information sharing framework could be used as a platform to address that need and foster other transparency efforts. This paper will review recent transparency activities between the U.S., Japan and the Republic of Korea, and explore prospects for the future, as well as the impact regional transparency could have on the nonproliferation regime.