Attacks on nuclear facilities pose significant risks to human security, international stability, and environmental safety. As recent conflicts have underscored the vulnerability of nuclear sites, the international community has renewed discussions on strengthening prohibitions against such attacks.
VCDNP Senior Research Associate Noah Mayhew has authored a new paper, Mitigating the Threat of Attacks on Nuclear Facilities, which provides an in-depth analysis of existing legal frameworks governing these attacks and explores avenues to reinforce them, as well as non-binding measures.
He details how prohibitions against attacks on nuclear facilities originate in the 1977 Additional Protocols I and II of the Geneva Conventions, which classify nuclear power plants as protected sites under international humanitarian law (IHL). The study further examines relevant resolutions by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties, and the 1988 India-Pakistan Non-Attack Agreement.
The paper argues that, while current legal instruments provide a foundation for prohibiting attacks on nuclear sites, enforcement mechanisms remain limited, and geopolitical challenges hinder further legal advancements. Mr. Mayhew highlights the importance of interim measures, such as voluntary political commitments, confidence-building measures, and enhancing the implementation of existing legal frameworks to strengthen protections in the short term.
This paper was produced with the generous support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
