On 22 February 2016, the VCDNP, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), hosted a high-level event to promote the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) with a view to securing its entry into force. The invitees were Ambassadors of those countries that, while party to the CPPNM, have yet to become party to its Amendment. Fourteen countries participated in the event.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano gave an opening address, noting that the CPPNM Amendment was the "most important area of unfinished business" in the realm of nuclear security (the Amendment still requires adherence by 11 more States for its entry into force). He cautioned against complacency—that no attacks involving nuclear or radiological material have yet taken place, does not mean that none ever will—and argued that, in his view, the most dangerous country is the one that does not recognize the danger of nuclear terrorism. Mr. Amano added that, alongside the Agency's work to promote the conclusion of Additional Protocols (which provides nuclear inspectors more information and access rights), getting the CPPNM Amendment into force was the IAEA's highest priority, noting that entry into force is now well within reach.
Following Mr. Amano's remarks, Mr. Khammar Mrabit, Director of the IAEA's Division of Nuclear Security, and the IAEA's Section Head for Nuclear and Treaty Law, Mr. Wolfram Tonhauser provided briefings on the technical and legal aspects of the Amendment. Mr. Mrabit gave an overview of the history of the Amendment—which has roots dating back to a 1972 IAEA booklet on physical protection. Mr. Mrabit also spoke of the IAEA's ability to provide technical assistance to Member States in meeting their obligations under the CPPNM and its Amendment, including support during States' ratification processes and assistance in its subsequent implementation. He underlined the importance of both the CPPNM and the Amendment, stressing that they are the only legally binding international instruments for physical protection of nuclear material.
Mr. Tonhauser then broke the two instruments down into their three key components—scope of protection, criminalization, and international cooperation—and explained that the Amendment's primary purpose is to strengthen each of these three. The Amendment is a widely accepted and non-controversial instrument in the international arena, he noted, adding that, while for now the focus was on bringing it into force, it also was time to start thinking of the amended Convention as a "living document" and how to ensure its continued evolution over the coming years. Mr. Tonhauser noted that the IAEA offers legal assistance to countries in all areas of nuclear law, including nuclear security law, in addition to the technical assistance referred to by Mr. Mrabit.
Ambassador Vladimir Voronkov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna, concluded the first session by providing Russia's view on the Amendment. Ambassador Voronkov emphasized that physical protection was the "backbone" of efforts to ensure nuclear security around the world: the foundation upon which all other aspects (such as cyber security and forensics) rest. He noted that the threat of nuclear terrorism is greater today than ever before, with terrorist groups intent on causing mass casualties and an ever-growing amount of nuclear and radiological material worldwide. Ratification of the CPPNM Amendment is a "must" for all who signed the Convention, he said, citing US ratification in 2015—after a legislative process of many years—as a milestone that will encourage others and help move efforts forward around the world. He also stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the CPPNM after the amendment comes into force and avoiding two tracks with different paces in the implementation of the amended Convention.
The second part of the event focused on "country experiences", where representatives of a number of countries spoke about the challenges and rewards in achieving ratification of the CPPNM Amendment.
Ms. Laura Holgate, Senior Director for WMD Terrorism and Threat Reduction at the US National Security Council, echoed Ambassador Voronkov in stating that the CPPNM Amendment represents a "critical global underpinning" of the nuclear security architecture today. She described the long process of securing ratification in the US, noting that the Amendment was not controversial in itself, but that what took time was navigating the legislative process in Washington and untangling the Amendment from other contentious domestic issues not directly connected to it. The US and Russia were "completely aligned" on the issue of the CPPNM Amendment's importance, Ms. Holgate said. Ms. Holgate urged countries to work towards achieving entry into force of the agreement by 1 April.
Ultimately, the ratification process in the US took ten years. By contrast, Mr. Thapelo Otukile of the Radiation Protection Inspectorate of Botswana explained how the process in his country took just nine months. He provided an overview of the consultative inter-ministerial process that took place in Botswana and spoke highly of the work of non-governmental organizations in contributing to the national debate on the matter in his country. In what was a recurring theme of the event, Mr. Otukile noted his country's appreciation that nuclear security was "only as good as its weakest link", and finished by pointing to other areas—such as import/export controls—that Botswana was currently focused on improving.
Mr. Amrih Jinangkung of the Embassy of Indonesia in Austria spoke of the challenges faced by most countries in securing ratification of the CPPNM Amendment: one being its technical nature, which can make it difficult for policy-makers to appreciate the importance of, and to engage their interest in hosting a high-level event; and the other being the domestic treaty law requirements. In the case of Indonesia, the technical nature of the Amendment permitted the Government to use a simplified mechanism for ratification: rather than parliamentary approval, its adherence was achieved through a simplified process of a Presidential decree. He noted, however, an ongoing challenge in incorporating the criminalization aspects of the Amendment into Indonesia's criminal code.
Finally, participants heard from Raúl Martínez Villalba, Director of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay. Mr. Martínez Villalba described the process of gaining support for ratification in Paraguay, which was ultimately secured very recently—in December 2015. Like Mr. Otukile, he too spoke of the helpful role of civil society in generating support for the Amendment among lawmakers. He further noted that proper implementation of the Amendment would require capacity-building in Paraguay and that, in this regard, ongoing co-operation with the IAEA would be "crucial". Mr. Martínez Villalba stated that he expected Paraguay's instrument of ratification to be deposited with the IAEA—the formal step of becoming a party—within the next month.
Participants around the table heard from numerous countries throughout the course of the event, with several indicating that the ratification process in their own States was progressing rapidly—boding well for prospects for entry into force of the Amendment during the course of this year.
