Year
2003
Abstract
This is the fourth in a series of papers describing the effort at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to make progress toward revision of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM). The papers, presented at the 41st, 42nd, 43rd and now 44th INMM meetings, respectively, report on progress from the U.S. perspective. They reflect the U.S. position that it is essential to revise the CPPNM so that it may become the key instrument for identifying essential elements of effective State systems for the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities used for peaceful purposes. The first paper described the initial phase of the effort from November 1999 to June 2000. The second paper described progress between June 2000 and June 2001, including the Informal Open-Ended Expert Meeting’s May 2001 recommendation that IAEA Director General ElBaradei convene an Open-Ended Drafting Group of legal and technical experts to prepare a proposal for a well-defined amendment to the Convention. The Director General accepted that recommendation and the Drafting Group held its first meeting in December 2001. The third paper reported on the work of the Drafting Group through June 2002. It had a strong focus on the need for effective resolution of questions of state sovereignty regarding the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities and for a pragmatic balancing of interests in defining the new obligations under the Convention. At the time of the third report, there was hope that the Drafting Group might successfully resolve the major hurdles facing it and conclude its work to permit the convening of a Diplomatic Conference in 2002. The present paper describes the accomplishment of the Drafting Group from July 2002 through its conclusion in March 2003 and discusses remaining challenges to successful revision. Lastly, it reviews the gains for improving physical protection throughout the world to be expected from a revised CPPNM.