Key Nuclear Challenges of the Modern Era

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Published: 20 July 2009

Key Nuclear Challenges of the Modern Era

The Prime Minister has set out a number of measures to address the key nuclear challenges of the modern era and to lead international efforts to promote greater global nuclear security.

The Road to 2010 paper last week set out a plan of action across the full range of global nuclear challenges - from establishing the right conditions for nuclear power to play its part in combating climate change, global poverty and energy shortages, to ensuring that nuclear material is held securely across the globe, to urgent action to address the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and progress in building the international partnerships we need to deliver a world free from nuclear weapons.

It set out a detailed plan of action by the UK – in partnership with other countries – in the run up to next year when the world will gather to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Among the specific measures announced were:

· A new Nuclear Centre of Excellence in the UK to promote wider access to civil nuclear power across the world, to make a reality of the right of all countries - enshrined in the NPT - to the peaceful use of nuclear power.

It will promote the development of cost-effective civil nuclear technology which cannot be diverted for use in weapons programmes.

This Centre, to be developed in partnership with industry and other countries, will receive initial funding of £20m from the Government

· A renewed emphasis on nuclear security and preventing nuclear terrorism. In order to help reduce the risk that nuclear material will be lost or stolen, the Prime Minister has offered assistance to any nation with security improvements should they request our help, building on our long experience as a nuclear nation.

· The Road to 2010 also announces £3m of new funding for nuclear forensics work in the UK. This is part of a strategy to establish nuclear security as a new pillar of the global nuclear framework.

The Prime Minister said:

“The world needs a renewed global bargain for nuclear energy. We need this to make the world safer, more prosperous, and better able to combat climate change and to secure the energy supply we need.

We must seize the new momentum for meeting this challenge. Our Road to 2010 plan sets out an ambitious but achievable set of reforms across the entire nuclear question.

Next year’s Review Conference gives us the opportunity I want to renew and re-invigorate the bargain at the heart of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

For nuclear weapon states, this bargain means we have a responsibility to show leadership on the question of disarmament and being at the forefront of developing global solutions to allow wider and safe access to civil nuclear power.

For non-nuclear weapon states the bargain means continuing to forego nuclear weapons, while accessing - if they wish - civil nuclear power.

Iran is a test case. The UK and the international community stand ready to help Iran achieve a peaceful civil nuclear programme.

We make the same offer to Iran as to other countries - we will help you gain access to nuclear power for peaceful purposes, but we will do everything we can to prevent weapons proliferation.

The new Centre of Excellence we are announcing today is proof of our intention to develop the science needed for the peaceful, proliferation-free expansion of nuclear power.

The world also needs to pay more attention to the challenge of nuclear security.

Britain will play a leading role in this global effort. That is why today we are announcing further funding for our world-leading nuclear forensics work.

Building on recent discussions at the G8, I am also calling on international partners to work with us to establish nuclear security as a new pillar of the international nuclear framework.

A major milestone on the path to achieving this is President Obama’s nuclear security conference in March, and we will work with him and leaders across the globe to deliver on this agenda.”

The new Nuclear Centre of Excellence will:

· receive initial government funding of £20m over the first five years

· be established in partnership with academia, industry & international partners who we will engage to decide the best structure & operating model for the Centre

· focus on the development of a cost-effective, and proliferation resistant nuclear fuel cycle to improve access to nuclear power and help ensure that, in the future, nuclear material used in civil nuclear programmes is not used to make weapons

· lead international efforts to improve the technology to reduce the environmental impact and carbon-footprint of nuclear power

· help build on UK capability to enable UK businesses to make the most of the opportunities arising from the expansion of safe, proliferation resistant nuclear energy worldwide

· over the longer-term look at other possible areas of research - including, potentially, work on the technical challenge of verifying disarmament without risking the proliferation of sensitive technology

The Road to 2010 plan sets out how the UK will lead international efforts between now and the Review Conference across four key areas of reform:

On the safe expansion of civil nuclear power, in addition to creating a Centre of Excellence, the UK will:

· start a process for establishing the long-term management of plutonium, by publishing alongside the Road to 2010 a discussion document and following this with a second document later in the summer that will cover the process and timing for making decisions

· complete the development of the UK’s Nuclear Fuel Assurance and present our proposals to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in September - to guarantee nuclear fuel to those countries who wish to enter into an appropriate agreement

On nuclear security the UK wants to build international consensus to establish security as the fourth pillar of the international nuclear regime. The UK will:

· from today, offer assistance to any country that wants help to secure their stocks of vulnerable nuclear material - building on our long experience as a nuclear nation

· ratify the amendment to a key nuclear security treaty - the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material - and start this process by laying the relevant motion in parliament today - and encourage other countries to do the same

· provide an extra £3m in funding to support the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s world-leading work on forensics and detection

· play a full part in President Obama’s international summit on nuclear security

On non-proliferation and disarmament the government are committed to working with international partners to deal robustly with countries that are not fulfilling their non-proliferation obligations and to creating the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons.

In recent years the UK has become widely recognised as one of the most forward-leaning nuclear weapon states in generating the momentum for disarmament. Among other things they will:

· host between September 3-4 a conference between the recognised nuclear weapon states on confidence-building measures towards nuclear disarmament

· work to build support for our three-stage process for disarmament & non-proliferation: transparency & control; arms reductions; and steps to zero

The nuclear challenges of the twenty-first century are global & require strengthened international governance.

The UK wants the IAEA to remain at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to deliver a safe, secure and proliferation free nuclear future. The UK will:

· work with the Director General-designate and international partners to develop robust plans for organisational reform of the Agency

· host a meeting of the main financial donors of the IAEA (the so-called Geneva Group) to drive forward progress on future funding and staffing issues

· help develop the role the IAEA plays in support of the Millennium Development Goals

Taken together, the measures will hopefully help the UK to lead international efforts over the next 12 months and beyond in achieving material and sustainable global nuclear security.

The International Energy Agency estimates that the world needs to build 32 new nuclear reactors each year in order to halve global carbon dioxide emissions by the middle of this century.

Further information

Road to 2010 paper

Statement on nuclear non-proliferation

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Consultation on the ‘Restructuring of the Health and Safety Executive’s Nuclear Directorate’ (closes on 22 September 2009)

Safety Executive’s Nuclear Directorate

BIS – Nuclear Energy

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