REVISING THE CONVENTION ON THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL

This paper reports on the work of the Informal Open-Ended Expert Meeting convened by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General ElBaradei in November 1999 to consider the question of whether there is a need to revise the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM or Convention). It is an update of the paper entitled, “Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material,” presented at the 41st INMM meeting. In reaching its conclusions and recommendations, the Expert Meeting relied on the work of an Informal Open-Ended Working Group. The Working Group met four times between February 2000 and February 2001 to consider, in accordance with its Terms of Reference, how the international physical protection regime might be strengthened, including possible revision of the CPPNM. The Expert Meeting concluded its work in May 2001 with a report to the Director General. Among its conclusions and recommendations were the following: --“In response to the question of the Director General, the Informal Open-Ended Expert Meeting agreed that a well defined amendment aimed at strengthening the CPPNM should be drafted and subsequently reviewed by the State Parties with a view to determining whether to submit the amendment in accordance with Article 20 of the CPPNM.” --“Invite the Director General of the IAEA to convene an open-ended group of legal and technical experts in order to prepare a draft of a well-defined amendment to strengthen the CPPNM, where the term “amendment” would include “any appropriate legal instrument which is consistent with Article 20 of the CPPNM.” The paper addresses only the revision recommendation.