Country & Area Actions: April 2024 Update

Governments Are Taking Action to Strengthen Nuclear Security Globally

Updated April 17, 2024

This webpage lists actions countries have taken since May 31, 2023, when data gathering for the 2023 Nuclear Security Index closed.

Since May 31, 2023, governments have taken the following actions (newly updated actions in bold):

• Ratified key nuclear security treaties
• Participated in International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) peer review
• Updated declarations of civilian nuclear material stocks
• Subscribed to nuclear security Information Circulars (INFCIRCs)
• Submitted information about laws and regulations to the IAEA under Article 14 of the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM)

How to Use the Tracker

The list includes actions related to a subset of the subindicators in the NTI Index that can be obtained without the need for in-depth country research.

The list identifies the relevant subindicator number and name, the country or area name (with link to country or area page), the action taken and date of action, and the source (with link, where available).

Updates as of April 17, 2024:

• 1.3.1: Material Production/Elimination Trends
  • Iran: Increased rate of highly enriched uranium (HEU) production (April 10, 2024)
    • Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/10/iran-nuclear-bomb-iaea-fordow/
• 3.1.2 CPPNM Amendment
  • Belarus: Ratified the CPPNM Amendment (September 25, 2023)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/22/06/cppnm_amend_status.pdf
  • South Africa: Ratified the CPPNM Amendment (February 26, 2024)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/22/06/cppnm_amend_status.pdf
• 3.1.3 International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT)
  • Palau: Ratified ICSANT (January 19, 2024)
    • Source: https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XVIII-15&chapter=18&Temp=mtdsg3&clang=_en
  • Zimbabwe: Ratified ICSANT (September 28, 2023)
    • Source: https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XVIII-15&chapter=18&Temp=mtdsg3&clang=_en
• 3.2.8 IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB)
  • Somalia: Joined ITDB (November 2, 2023)
    • Source: IAEA Nuclear Security Information Portal (NUSEC)
  • Togo: Joined ITDB (June 21, 2023)
    • Source: IAEA Nuclear Security Information Portal (NUSEC)
• 3.3.4 Public declarations/reports about civilian nuclear materials
  • Russia: Submitted INFCIRC/549 declaration (August 3, 2023)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/1998/infcirc549a9-25.pdf
• 3.3.6 Review of security arrangements
  • Costa Rica: IAEA conducted an International Nuclear Security Advisory Service (INSServ) mission from March 3-15 (March 15, 2024)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-mission-to-costa-rica-encourages-continued-improvement-in-nuclear-security-arrangements
  • Ukraine: IAEA staff are continuously present, monitoring the situation at all five of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, which remains under Russian operational control. (Ongoing)
    • Source: https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/united-nations-security-council-update-15-april-2024
• 3.3.7 International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) Mission
  • United States: Completed an IPPAS mission (March 8, 2024)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-completes-international-physical-protection-advisory-service-mission-in-the-united-states
  • Kuwait: Completed an IPPAS mission (June 8, 2023)
    • Source: IAEA Nuclear Security Information Portal (NUSEC)
  • Japan: Requested an IPPAS mission (August 2, 2024)
    • Source: IAEA Nuclear Security Information Portal (NUSEC)
  • Japan: IAEA conducted an IPPAS follow up (April 2, 2024)
    • Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-confirms-nuclear-security-improvements-at-Jap
• 3.4.2 INFCIRC/908
  • Slovak Republic: Subscribed to INFCIRC/908 (August 15, 2023)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/2017/infcirc908a6.pdf
  • Lithuania: Subscribed to INFCIRC/908 (February 15, 2024)
    • Source: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/2017/infcirc908a7.pdf
• 4.2.2 National legal framework for CPPNM Amendment (December 13, 2023)
  • Uganda: Submitted CPPNM Amendment Article 14 information
    • Source: IAEA Nuclear Security Information Portal (NUSEC)