Maintaining the Balance between Development and Nuclear Security

The landscape of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is marked by attempts to maintain a balance between non-proliferation, nuclear safety and security measures on the one hand, and access to nuclear technologies and their peaceful applications on the other. VCDNP Senior Research Associate Ingrid Kirsten is one of the experts who has been focusing on the nexus between peaceful uses and nuclear security and the role of the IAEA in supporting access to the safe, secure, sustainable and peaceful application of nuclear technologies.

In her article published by NCT Magazine, Ms. Kirsten argues for expanded and improved access by developing countries to nuclear technology and its peaceful applications, which she believes will ultimately contribute to strengthening global peace and security. She is of the view that the system that has been established with the IAEA at its center to ensure that these technologies are applied in a safe, secure and sustainable manner, provides a solid foundation for the expansion of nuclear technologies in the future. She notes that there are formidable challenges to fully tap the potential of peaceful uses, which includes the lack of awareness on the part of policy makers about their benefits, the absence of peaceful uses in national development policies, and the lack of sufficient access to radiation equipment that can be successfully used in developing countries. She maintains that enhancing human security by expanding the use of these peaceful technologies in a safe and a security manner to contribute to global development and climate goals should be our focus, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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