Laura Rockwood and Consensus on Nuclear Security

Executive Director of the VCDNP Laura Rockwood was invited to participate in a workshop on “Nuclear Security: From Political Commitment to Practical Implementation” organised by the Permanent Representative of Romania, Ambassador Cristian Istrate on 3 April 2019. The objective of the workshop was to promote awareness on nuclear security aspects related to the benefits of nuclear applications.

Ms. Rockwood participated in the panel on “Nuclear Security: State of Play, Expectations, Perspectives”, and shared the podium with: Ambassador Dr. György Molnár, Ambassador from Hungary to the IAEA and chair of the Nuclear Security Contact Group; Omar Amer Youssef, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the IAEA; and Mr. Raja Adnan, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security.

Ms. Rockwood considered the challenges related to building consensus on nuclear security in the IAEA when Member States have different perspectives related to the role of the IAEA and the relationship between nuclear security and peaceful uses. She spoke about the importance of changing the narrative on nuclear security and on technical cooperation to respond to these challenges. She made a case for creating more opportunities for substantive dialogue between the relevant stakeholders to bridge the gap between the political and the technical and to foster open dialogue on the legitimate concerns of Member States. She noted that, to this end, the VCDNP had developed a platform for dialogue to give diplomats an opportunity to engage substantively with Member State experts on their efforts to use nuclear and other radioactive materials in a safe and secure manner and to get a first-hand understanding of how the IAEA is supporting its Member States.

Her statement is available here.