9 Outcomes from the Nuclear Summit

The fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, DC last week, bringing together more than 50 world leaders to find ways to limit and secure nuclear stockpiles. The threat from ISIS cast a heavy shadow on the summit, with the recent attacks in Brussels prompting an updated agenda to address the threat of nuclear materials winding up in the hands of terrorists. Reducing and securing the world’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium (HEU) – the quality of uranium needed to produce weapons grade material – will lessen this threat. In contrast to HEU, low enriched uranium (LEU) is not sufficient to produce weapons grade material and is used for energy needs.

Russia, a major nuclear power, skipped this year’s summit, adding to tensions between the U.S. and Russia and slowing any chance of progress for U.S.-Russian cooperation on nuclear security, which has stalled in recent years. An additional weight on this year’s summit is the finality of it all: President Obama initiated the bi-annual summit at the start of his term, but the series ends here. Five international organizations will drive the summit’s future agenda: the United Nations, the IAEA, INTERPOL, the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT). But this shouldn’t detract from the successes achieved thus far. Below are key outcomes achieved by the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit.

Outcomes

1. Crucial nonproliferation amendment will enter into force

The 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) will now enter into force, having recently been signed by several states, including New Zealand, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Kuwait, and Montenegro. This amendment will make security standards mandatory on nuclear facilities and nuclear material that is used or stored domestically.
2. Removal of HEU from countries

Since the 2014 summit, 10 nations have removed or disposed of about 450 kilograms (990 pounds) of HEU. These countries include: Argentina, Austria, Canada, Poland, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Jamaica, Uzbekistan, Germany, and Japan.

• Argentina, Switzerland, and Uzbekistan are now completely free of HEU.
• All of Latin America and the Caribbean is free of HEU.
• Germany removed excess plutonium and HEU to the U.S. for storage.
• The U.S. and Japan announced the fulfillment of a 2014 pledge to remove more than 500kg of HEU and separated plutonium fuel from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s Fast Critical Assembly.

Indonesia downblended all of its fresh HEU into LEU. Jointly with the U.S., Indonesia will eliminate its remaining HEU by September 2016.

3. The U.S. released information on inventories of HEU

The White House declassified information on the U.S. inventory of HEU as of September 2013, showing that from 1996 to 2013, the U.S. cut its HEU inventory from 740.3 metric tons to 585.6 metric tons.

4. Joint Statement on Insider Threat Mitigation

27 countries and INTERPOL signed a joint statement committing themselves to supporting the IAEA to develop courses to prevent insider threats, develop national policies on threat mitigation, and establish a nuclear security regime to protect against malicious insider activities.

5. Action plans for the UN, IAEA, INTERPOL, GICNT, and Global Partnership

With the Nuclear Security Summit ending, these five organizations will carry out the work of the summit in securing and reducing nuclear materials through separate action plans. This includes, but isn’t limited to, the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540,¹ continued support of IAEA activities, information sharing between law enforcement agencies, capacity building, and enhanced coordination.

6. U.S.-UK initiative to strengthen cyber security

30 countries committed to strengthening cyber security for the control systems that run nuclear facilities. These countries will participate in workshops and present their findings at the end of 2016.

7. U.S. research and development plan to use LEU in naval reactors

The Department of Energy is leading the effort for an advanced fuel system that could allow the use of LEU in naval reactors, instead of HEU.

8. Joint statement on transport security

Several countries recommitted to improve the security in transporting nuclear and other radioactive materials. This will continue exchanges of national practices through the IAEA and GICNT.

9. U.S.-EU exchange of HEU

To minimize the use of HEU for civilian uses, the U.S. will provide HEU to research reactors and isotope production facilities in relevant European states. In exchange, relevant European states will downblend HEU, recycle HEU, or transfer to the U.S. unirradiated excess HEU for peaceful purpose. This will result in an overall net reduction of HEU in the EU.