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Introduction to International Safeguards

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Introduction to International Safeguards U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY National Nuclear Security Administration 2 The purpose of this booklet is to provide background information on how and why International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards play a central role in international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. IAEA safeguards provide assurances to the international community that nuclear material and facilities are not being used for the illicit manufacture of nuclear weapons. Under Article III of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), each non-nuclear weapon State (NNWS)1 Party is required to conclude with the IAEA a comprehensive safeguards agreement (CSA). The State’s primary obligation under the CSA is “to accept safeguards on all source or special fissionable material in all peaceful nuclear activities… for the exclusive purpose of verifying that such material is not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” Contents The NPT has near-universal global adherence; 190 countries have joined the Treaty.2 What are International Safeguards? .............. 1 The application of IAEA safeguards promotes international confidence that States Why are Safeguards Necessary? ................... 1 are using nuclear energy exclusively for peaceful purposes, deters and provides Historical Overview .......................................... 2 early warning of incipient nuclear weapon programs, and establishes a basis for States to make judgments regarding compliance with Article III of the NPT. Under Structure of the IAEA ....................................... 4 the IAEA’s Statute, the IAEA Board of Governors (see page 5) is authorized to Legal Context ................................................... 6 report noncompliance with a safeguards agreement—a judgment that alerts the international community to possible undeclared nuclear weapons programs—to the Strengthening Safeguards: United Nations (UN) Security Council. Under Chapter VII of the United Nations charter, The Model Additional Protocol ....................... 6 the UN Security Council has the authority to impose punitive economic and political Noncompliance ............................................... 7 sanctions on States that are violating their safeguards agreements with the IAEA as Implementation: Tools, part of the Council’s responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Methods, and Sources .................................... 8 1 The NPT, which entered into force in 1970, defines nuclear-weapon States as those that “manufactured and Challenges .....................................................10 exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device prior to 1 January 1967”: The United States (1945); the Soviet Union, now Russia (1949); the United Kingdom (1952); France (1960); and China (1964). The State-Level Concept ...............................10 All other parties to the NPT are non-nuclear weapon States. 2 India, Israel, and Pakistan have never joined the NPT. North Korea acceded to the NPT in 1985, and Office of International Nuclear Safeguards announced its withdrawal from the NPT in 2003. Next Generation Safeguards Initiative .........12 1 What are International Safeguards? International safeguards are the set of technical measures applied by the IAEA to independently and objectively verify that a State’s nuclear material is accounted for and not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. In States with comprehensive safeguards agreements, safeguards also provide credible assurance of the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities, in accordance with the terms of the State’s bilateral safeguards agreement with the IAEA. The objective of IAEA safeguards is to deter the spread of nuclear These technical measures include, for example, on-site inspections, weapons by early detection of nuclear material accountancy, physical measurements, facility design misuse of nuclear material or information verification, containment using tamper-indicating tags and seals, technology, thereby providing surveillance, and environmental sampling. credible assurances that States are honoring their legal obligations. Basics of IAEA Safeguards. Retrieved from https://www.iaea.org/safeguards/ Why are basics-of-iaea-safeguards Safeguards Necessary? The peaceful uses of nuclear technology include such applications as electricity generation, seawater desalination, the mapping of underground aquifers to improve groundwater management and investigate contamination events, the diagnosis of and treatment for cancer, and the control and eradication of disease-bearing insects. However, the nuclear materials employed for some of these applications—and the facilities used to produce and process those materials—also can be used for the production of nuclear weapons. With its access to nuclear expertise, facilities, and information, the IAEA is uniquely positioned to reassure the international community that an NNWS is not diverting nuclear material from peaceful purposes to a nuclear weapon program. A robust IAEA capability to verify peaceful activities and to detect and investigate indications of clandestine programs can reduce States’ incentives to develop nuclear weapons or latent nuclear weapon capabilities. By the same token, confidence in the IAEA safeguards system can help to facilitate the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, thereby helping to address global energy, environment, and human health challenges. 2 Historical Overview In his “Atoms for Peace” speech of December 1953, U.S. President Seeking a binding mechanism to limit the spread of nuclear Eisenhower proposed to the United Nations General Assembly “an weapons without precluding access to peaceful uses of nuclear acceptable solution” that would place all nuclear materials capable energy, a number of countries negotiated the text of the NPT in of sustaining a chain reaction under the control of an international the late 1960s. The NPT was opened for signature in 1968 and atomic energy agency. This agency would be responsible for entered into force in 1970. Balanced on three mutually reinforcing holding the materials in “special safe conditions,” making them pillars designed to limit weapons proliferation, encourage nuclear “immune to surprise seizure.” The more important responsibility, disarmament, and promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the President Eisenhower emphasized, would be to “allocate [these NPT has become a cornerstone of international peace and security. materials] to serve the peaceful pursuits of mankind.” Stemming from these lofty objectives, the IAEA subsequently was established in 1957 with the dual objectives of facilitating access by all States to the benefits of peaceful uses of atomic energy while also ensuring, through a system of safeguards, that such assistance would not be misused for military purposes. INFCIRC/26/Add.1 expanded The IAEA publishes coverage to all reactors model for CSAs and for small quantities 1964 protocols; India detonates a nuclear President INFCIRC/66/Rev.1 explosive device, Eisenhower’s Atoms IAEA expanded coverage to NPT enters said to be for for Peace Speech created reprocessing plants into force peaceful purposes 1953 1957 1965-1966 1970 1974 1965 1968 INFCIRC/66 NPT opened established a set for signature; 1961 of procedures INFCIRC/66/Rev.2 1971 The IAEA Board of Governors that are expanded safeguards With INCIRC/153 (Corr.), approves the Agency’s safeguards incorporated coverage to nuclear the IAEA approves “The system, which initially describes into item-specific material in conversion Structure and Content of how safeguards will be applied safeguards and fuel fabrication Agreements Between the only at research reactors plants Agency and States Required (INFCIRC/26) in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons” 3 The IAEA has 164 Member States and more than 180 countries have entered into safeguards agreements with the IAEA. NPT Article III Serves as the primary legal basis for the application of international NPT Article IV safeguards in NNWSs party to the Recognizes the “inalienable right” NPT. Under Article III, NNWSs of States “to develop research, NPT Article VI agree to accept safeguards, as set production and use of nuclear Requires States to “pursue negotiations in forth in an agreement with the energy for peaceful purposes” and good faith on effective measures relating to IAEA, on all nuclear material in encourages the “fullest possible cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early all peaceful uses for the purpose exchange of equipment, materials, date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a of verification of the fulfillment of and scientific and technological treaty on general and complete disarmament their NPT obligations “to prevent information.” under strict and effective international diversion of nuclear energy from c ont ro l .” peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” Iran’s undeclared enrichment plant at The IAEA Board finds Syria The IAEA Board Natanz is revealed to public, setting in non-compliance with its Iraq found to have nuclear reaffirms the stage for the IAEA to investigate President Bush safeguards agreement and weapons program; comprehensive and reveal extensive undeclared announces reports matter to the UN the IAEA reports Iraq’s safeguards system activities and safeguards violations the A.Q. Khan Security Council; the IAEA non-compliance to the should be designed 2002 network sold Director General
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