Nuclear security is responsibility of individual countries

Nuclear security is responsibility of individual countries 

World leaders will gather again in Seoul, South Korea next march. The theme of this meeting is real threat. The worst possible threat is when terrorists blow up so called 'dirty bomb'. Dirty bomb is not a complete atomic bomb but its's explosion can lead to chaos. The economic consequence of the explosion will be same just as of the real bomb.

Just as the protection of the nuclear facilites is important, the protection of nuclear materials should be tightened. Two years after the washington summit, the protection of nuclear materials and facilities have been greatly improved.

Nuclear security is basic responsibilities of each individuals. Yet, the past ten years, IAEA has done various efforts to improve nuclear security. It has acceded to advice questions about nuclear protection laws and found weak nuclear securities points in each countries. It has also worked to improve securities in medical and industry related protection. Since effective nuclear security requires highly skilled manpower and advanced technology. IAEA has edcuated about nuclear security in 120 countries against more than 10,000 people.

IAEA is also helping countries to establish tracking system of theft nuclear materials and providing nuclear detectiion equipments to deter terrorists from smuggling.

The most effective way to understand the trend of nuclear security is information. IAEA's 'Illegal trade tracking database' is useful in detecting unauthroized nuclear activities and nuclear thefts. The database has registered more than 150 activities of illegal transcations. IAEA is helping to prevent world cup or olympic activities from nuclear terror. Threat evaluation, radiation detecting ability development are some of the activies that IAEA is doing to prevent nuclear terror. 

Terrorists will try to find the weakest security system in the world. For that reason, IAEA which has 152 member states can contribute a lot.

I am very thankful that South Korea has become a strong supporter of international nuclear security system as it is the host country of 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. As mentioned from 2011 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, I firmly believe that IAEA's support for strengthening nuclear security activities will repeat in Seoul.

Ratify Amended Convention for Counterterrorism


Among them, the easiest decisive action that participating states can do is to ratify 'Amended Convention on the Protection Nuclear Material (ACPNM)'. This convention is one of the important international law systems to coutner terrors. This convention was amended for Nuclear materials usage, stroage, and transportaion and to expand the coverage of 2005 convention. However, this convention has not come into effect because the number of ratifying countries are not yet enough. I encourage world leaders to ratify the amended convention immediately in order to make progress in preventing international nuclear terrorism