Nuclear Security Summit 2016 : Points to Note

In International Affairs
April 2, 2016

Nuclear Security Summit 2016 took place in Washington DC on April 1st, 2016. Leaders include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President François Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye attended the Summit.

In the Summit

World Leaders underline the importance of the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment and the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and will continue to work toward their universalization and full implementation.
Reaffirm the commitment to our shared goals of nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Let’s see the key announcements by PM on India’s national actions

1. India will continue to accord a high national priority to nuclear security through strong institutional framework, independent regulatory agency and trained and specialized manpower.

2. Development and deployment of technology to deter and defend against nuclear terrorism. These include physical and cyber barriers, technological approaches, setting up a facility for medical grade ‘Moly-99’ using low enriched Uranium and using vitrified forms of vulnerable radioisotopes such as Ceasium-137.

3. India will counter nuclear smuggling and strengthen the national detection architecture for nuclear and radioactive material. A dedicated counter-nuclear smuggling team has been set up.

4. India will support IAEA’s central role in nuclear security: (a) Further contribution of $1 million to the nuclear security fund. (b) A workshop with IAEA experts on International Physical Protection Assessment Service (IPPAS) in India.

5. India will join trilateral intiative of NSS chairs circulated at IAEA by subscribing states as the joint statement on strengthening nuclear security implemenation.

6. India will also join three gift baskets for this summit in priority areas of counter0nuclear smuggling, nuclear security contact group in Vienna, sharing of best practices through Centres of Excellence such as India’s own.