(https://www.iaea.org/events/nuclear-security-conference)
IAEA secretary general Yukiya Amano
opened the conference with words:
“Ensuring effective nuclear security
is important for all countries, including those which possess little or no
nuclear or other radioactive material.
Terrorists and criminals will try to
exploit any vulnerability in the global nuclear security system. Any country,
in any part of the world, could find itself used as a transit point. And any
country could become the target of an attack. That is why effective
international cooperation is vital….we can never relax our guard. Continued
vigilance is essential as the threat evolves.
The IAEA will continue to play its
part in helping to ensure that all countries are able to make the best use of
available technology and to ensure state-of-the-art nuclear security.
Member States have made clear that
they want increased assistance in strengthening computer security in the
nuclear industry and related sectors…”
But the British minister is
known - her name is Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe- and her speech, rather than concentrate on nuclear security,
disgracefully used the conference platform to try to cheerlead for the UK nuclear industry
supply chain and nuclear new build. She made no attempt to consider the very serious implications for UK, or indeed or
wider global security, of expanding the nuclear industry, although she made several meaningless assertions that "Our Government is fully committed to further strengthening the global nuclear security architecture."
Her decision to
present such a promotional speech, and the departmental or security service officials
who drafted it ignorant of nuclear security implications, is very worrying.
Here is her disreputable speech
in full:
UK statement to the IAEA
international conference on nuclear security
From:
Delivered on:
5 December 2016 (Original script, may
differ from delivered version)
First
published:
6 December 2016
Part of:
Baroness
Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State for Energy and Intellectual Property,
delivered the UK’s Statement to the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear
Security supporting the IAEA’s pivotal role in global nuclear security
Introduction
It was during
this week in 1953 that the famous ‘Atoms for Peace’ speech was made to the UN
General Assembly and the message in that speech is as true today as it was
then. Nuclear power is an astonishing achievement, splitting atoms to create
such enormous amounts of energy. It does, however, need careful handling and so
we must ensure that it remains both safe and secure.
The UK has been
producing nuclear power longer than any other state and has recently decided to
proceed with our first new nuclear power station for a generation. With this
commitment comes responsibility. That is why I would like to thank the IAEA for
hosting this conference and to Director General Amano for his continued
leadership on this topic.
The IAEA
The UK
recognises that the IAEA plays a pivotal role in the global nuclear security
architecture and in coordinating international efforts as new challenges and
opportunities emerge.
We must ensure
that the IAEA is properly resourced so that it can carry out this role, and
that is why the UK is proud to be a leading contributor to the IAEA’s Nuclear
Security Fund. I am pleased to announce today that we will make a further contribution
of at least £5.5 million before the end of March 2017 to continue to ensure
this important work.
This fund,
alongside wider efforts by the IAEA with its Member States, has helped to
deliver important tools and services in 2016. These included seven IPPAS
missions; nine national Design Basis Threat workshops; assistance to Member
States at their request; and two more publications under the Nuclear Security
Series. We welcome these achievements but we must continue to make progress and
we hope that Member States will join us in making further contributions to the
Nuclear Security Fund.
The Future of Nuclear Security: challenges and
opportunities
The threat we
face from terrorism and crime is changing and evolving and we all share the
responsibility of ensuring nuclear and radiological material is safe and
secure. It is therefore vital that we prioritise our efforts on nuclear
security and maintain our readiness to respond quickly and effectively to this
threat.
At the same
time, we must adapt to the changing face of technology; embracing the
opportunities it presents and meeting the challenges that come with it. For
example, cyberspace can present both a threat to nuclear security and provide
tools for improving the systems and techniques underpinning nuclear security.
It is right that we are focusing efforts in this space.
The UK is proud
to have taken forward the commitments it made at the Nuclear Security Summit
earlier this year on cyber security. We have successfully delivered two
workshops on industrial control systems for international participants and
completed a joint exercise programme with the United States. This work enhanced
our combined ability to respond to major cyber-attacks on the civil nuclear
sector.
We face diverse
threats, and we need a strong, engaged and diverse workforce to counter them.
An effective, versatile and global approach to nuclear security relies upon a
diverse range of people, from all backgrounds and disciplines. I would like to
emphasis this point, which is in line with the position I have taken in other
sectors of the global economy. I see a major role for women in successful
global nuclear and security industries. With this in mind, I’m delighted that
the UK was able to fund the 2016 International Essay Competition on Nuclear
Security to encourage newcomers into the sector. The winners were all women -
coming from Singapore, Sudan, and the United Kingdom – and this demonstrates
that valuable expertise is coming through the pipeline from all corners of the
world and from women who have been underrepresented in the sector to date.
Ensuring a Sustainable Global Nuclear Security
Architecture
The
responsibility for securing nuclear and radiological material rests with us as
states, and we need to ensure that the current nuclear security architecture is
properly implemented within our home countries.
One area where
there is collective recognition that more needs to be done is transport.
Together there has been some good progress and the UK is committed to
continuing this. We are pleased to have a world-leading nuclear shipping
capability in the International Nuclear Services here at the conference. We
have also hosted a follow-up International Physical Protection Advisory Service
(IPPAS) mission earlier this year, and found it a valuable opportunity to share
good practices. We encourage others to host their own IPPAS missions.
Our Government
is fully committed to further strengthening the global nuclear security
architecture. To do this we must maintain the momentum of the Nuclear Security
Summits, building on the raised profile of nuclear security, supporting the
central role of the IAEA and addressing new and emerging security challenges.
Nuclear
security cannot be achieved unilaterally. At the international level, we should
all work together to build on recent successes including the successful entry-into-force
of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Material. We are committed to promoting the full implementation and universal
take up of this and other legal instruments that strengthen global nuclear
security.
I also want to
acknowledge the central role that the IAEA plays in coordinating our efforts to
strengthen nuclear security which complement the global architecture.
Nuclear Renaissance
The UK
Government’s reaffirmed commitment to new nuclear, coupled with the new emphasis
on industrial strategy, makes this a prime opportunity for the nuclear
industry. Of course, nuclear security will be vital component of this. Once
completed, Hinkley Point C will provide up to 7 percent of the UK’s electricity
needs and bring benefits to both the local and global supply chain. Beyond
Hinkley, industry has set out proposals to construct five further power
stations, with the potential to generate around 30 percent of the UK’s
electricity needs by 2035.
In order to
reap the benefits of nuclear energy and ensure it fulfils its true potential,
we are taking action now to address the skills gap. We recently announced the
National College for Nuclear, which is set to open its doors next year and aims
to train 7,000 people by 2020 who we hope will go on to become next generation
of nuclear innovators. The college will be complemented by our strong academic
community and I am pleased that we have representatives from many of these
institutions, including King’s College London, here at the conference.
Conclusion
We are at an
exciting moment in the history of civil nuclear and this conference provides a
prime opportunity to work together towards a stronger sustainable global
nuclear security architecture that works now, and into the future.
Thank you.
Here is the wider
international ministerial declaration
issued on Monday evening:
International
Conference on Nuclear Security: Commitments and Actions, 5-9 December 2016 IAEA
Vienna, 5 December 2016
MINISTERIAL
DECLARATION
1. We, the Ministers
of the Member States of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), gathered
at the International Conference on Nuclear Security: Commitments and Actions,
remain concerned about threats to nuclear security and therefore committed to
continuously maintaining and further strengthening nuclear security through
national actions, which may involve international cooperation, primarily
through the IAEA, as well as through other relevant international organisations
and initiatives, in accordance with their respective mandates and memberships.
2. We reaffirm the
common goals of nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful
uses of nuclear energy, recognize that nuclear security contributes to
international peace and security, and stress that progress in nuclear
disarmament is critically needed and will continue to be addressed in all
relevant fora, consistent with the relevant obligations and commitments of
Member States.
3. In the spirit of
the 2013 Ministerial Declaration of the International Conference on Nuclear
Security: Enhancing Global Efforts, we welcome the advances made by IAEA
Member States in developing and enhancing their national nuclear security
regimes. We also welcome the positive impact of the Agency’s increasing nuclear
security efforts, while noting that much more work needs to be done.
4. We underline the
importance of keeping pace with evolving challenges and threats to nuclear security.
We affirm the important role of science, technology and engineering in
understanding and addressing such challenges and threats, and commit ourselves
to stay vigilant and continue to take steps to confront, reduce and eliminate
them.
5. We reassert that
the responsibility for nuclear security within a State rests entirely with that
State, in accordance with its respective national and international
obligations, to maintain at all times effective and comprehensive nuclear
security of all nuclear and other radioactive material under its control.
6. We call upon all
States to ensure that measures to strengthen nuclear security do not hamper
international cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities.
7. We recognize that
bilateral, regional and international cooperation can serve to strengthen
nuclear security, and support, in this context, the central role of the IAEA in
facilitating and coordinating international cooperation and in organizing
Information Exchange Meetings with other organizations and initiatives on
nuclear security.
8. We acknowledge and
support the IAEA’s core nuclear security activities that assist States, upon
request, in their efforts to establish effective and sustainable national
nuclear security regimes, including guidance development, advisory services,
and capacity building. Moreover, we encourage Member States to contribute to
the Agency’s nuclear security assistance by sharing national expertise, best
practices and lessons learned.
9. We recognise
physical protection as a key element in nuclear security, and support the
further development of the IAEA’s assistance in areas of importance to Member
States such as nuclear
forensics, nuclear security
detection architecture and response, information security, transport security,
and insider threat mitigation, recognizing the need for appropriate measures to
protect sensitive information in achieving this objective. In particular, we
support the IAEA’s efforts to assist Member States to strengthen computer
security, recognizing the threat of cyber-attacks against nuclear
installations.
10. We welcome the entry into
force of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection on Nuclear
Material (CPPNM), look forward to its full implementation, and encourage IAEA’s
continued efforts to promote universalization. We encourage all Member States
that have not yet done so to become parties to the Amended CPPNM and also in
other international nuclear security instruments such as the International
Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT).
11. We will continue providing
the necessary technical, human and financial resources, including through the
Nuclear Security Fund, in line with our respective capacities and commitments,
as required for the Agency to implement its nuclear security activities and to
provide, upon request, the support needed by Member States.
12. We recognize that highly
enriched uranium (HEU) and separated plutonium in all their applications require
special precautions to ensure their nuclear security and that it is of great
importance that they be appropriately secured and accounted for, by and in the
relevant State. We encourage the Member States concerned, on a voluntary basis,
to further minimize HEU in civilian stocks and use LEU where technically and
economically feasible.
13. We commit to maintain
effective security of radioactive sources throughout their life cycle,
consistent with the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive
Sources. Moreover, we encourage the IAEA to promote and facilitate technical
exchanges of knowledge, experiences and good practices on the use and security
of high activity radioactive sources.
14. We commit to continue taking
active steps to combat illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive
material, to protect and secure all such material to ensure that it cannot be
used by non-State actors in criminal or terrorist acts, and to continue efforts
on our territories to prepare for recovering such material in case it has
fallen out of regulatory control, taking into account relevant international
instruments. We emphasize the importance of strong national legislative and
regulatory frameworks for nuclear security.
15. We support the IAEA’s and
Member States’ efforts to strengthen nuclear security culture and provide
education and training opportunities in nuclear security, including by using
national and regional Centres of Excellence and Nuclear Security Training and
Support Centres, to ensure that the current and future generations of nuclear
security professionals are well equipped to meet the challenge of ensuring
effective and responsive national nuclear security regimes.
16. We welcome the consensus
reached on the 60th GC Nuclear Security Resolution, and remain determined
to build upon it. This Declaration and the 2016 International Conference on
Nuclear Security will be taken into account in the consultation process between
the Secretariat and the Member States on the IAEA’s 2018 – 2021 Nuclear
Security Plan. We call upon the IAEA to continue to organize international
conferences on Nuclear Security every three years and encourage all Member
States to participate at a Ministerial level.
ROGR
AMME
