Recommendations

Greater effort is needed to strengthen and sustain political attention on nuclear security and to make continued progress in improving national regulatory frameworks and building an effective global nuclear security architecture.

The international community should revive efforts to reduce stocks of HEU and plutonium. Meanwhile, given the continued possession, use, and transport of weapons-usable nuclear materials, countries should focus on long-term, sustainable stewardship of their materials as long as they continue to possess them.

Countries must strengthen their nuclear security regulatory regimes and strive for continuous improvement, particularly in areas necessary for long-term, sustainable nuclear stewardship, such as Insider Threat Prevention, Security Culture, and Cybersecurity.

Regulatory requirements and nuclear operators should address the human factor through comprehensive measures for insider threat prevention measures and efforts to strengthen security culture.

Given the rapid pace with which cyber threats evolve, countries should prioritize actions to strengthen cybersecurity at nuclear facilities to prepare for, protect against, and respond to cyber threats.

Countries must do more to close gaps and support, contribute to, and participate in efforts to bolster the international nuclear security architecture. This will require greater political attention.

Countries supportive of nuclear security should work to build a stronger, more inclusive narrative about the importance of nuclear security to achieve broader participation in global efforts to strengthen nuclear security and increased support for the IAEA’s nuclear security role.

Countries should increase their financial and political support for the IAEA by contributing to the Nuclear Security Fund or supporting and participating in IAEA activities. The IAEA should do more to build awareness of its nuclear security activities and how they have helped countries to benefit from peaceful nuclear applications.

Countries with nuclear materials and nuclear facilities should take more steps to build confidence in their nuclear security, including improving transparency around stocks of nuclear materials and increasing participation in peer reviews.

Interest in peaceful nuclear use should be met with efforts to prepare those countries to assume nuclear security responsibilities. Countries considering new nuclear energy capabilities should establish the legal and regulatory frameworks and develop the capacity necessary to be responsible stewards of their nuclear power programs.

Countries should bolster the global radiological security architecture by ratifying key international agreements, by making political commitments to the IAEA Code of Conduct and related Supplemental Guidance, and by participating in voluntary initiatives.

Countries should establish the national legal framework necessary to effectively regulate and control radioactive sources, including an oversight body and requirements to secure radioactive sources.