Key Nuclear Security Agreement Enters into Force

On 8 May, the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), which is a key nuclear security agreement, entered into force. The CPPNM  was adopted in 1979, with its Amendment adopted later in 2005.
Currently, there are 152 States Parties to the Convention. Adherence of two-thirds of the States Parties to the CPPNM is necessary for entry into force of its Amendment, which was reached on 8 April 2016. The 30-day period thereafter for the agreement to come into force was concluded on 8 May.       

The Amendment expands the scope of the Convention and makes it legally binding for countries to protect nuclear facilities, as well as nuclear materials in domestic use, storage and transport. 

To mark this milestone, UAE Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi, Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), along with other Representatives from IAEA Member States, attended the address by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano to the media, at the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna. The event highlighted this significant achievement and step in strengthening global nuclear security.

The UAE joined the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material in 2003, and concluded its Amendment in 2009. By joining this international instrument, the UAE Government demonstrates the consistency of its nuclear energy with the policy commitment to the highest levels of safety and security.