UNODC regularly cooperates with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help Member States establish robust legal frameworks underpinning effective national nuclear security regimes.
One example of such partnership was the recent IAEA international seminar on the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment (A/CPPNM), which was held in a hybrid form on 23-25 February 2022. The event was organized ahead of the upcoming Review Conference of the A/CPPNM, which is scheduled to take place in Vienna on 28 March – 1 April 2022. UNODC contributed to the seminar and provided substantive expertise by delivering lectures on the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT), its synergies with the CPPNM and A/CPPNM, as well as UNODC’s relevant assistance programmes.
The universalization of the above-mentioned legal instruments is a crucial step in States’ efforts to prevent the risk of nuclear or other radioactive material falling into the hands of terrorists or other criminals who might exploit them for malicious purposes. Both UNODC and the IAEA, within their respective mandates, work to raise awareness on the importance of becoming party to these conventions, and offer technical assistance to support their effective implementation at the national level.
UNODC’s contribution to the seminar was made possible with funding from the European Union within the framework of UNODC’s project on “Union support for the universalization and effective implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism”.
