Nuclear security- a shared global concern
World leaders discussed ways in Seoul on March 27 to protect nuclear materials and thwart nuclear terrorism. Though the objectives of the second Nuclear Security Summit are clear, achieving those objectives is far from certain.
The March 26-27 summit was the largest of its kind ever drawing the leaders of 53 nations and representatives of four international organizations. The international community is determined to stop nuclear terrorism and support the efforts of the United Nations (UN) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prevent the production of materials for nuclear weapons.
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RoK President Lee Myung-bak announced the result of the summit in Seoul on March 27 |
They signed the Seoul Communiqué reaffirming their political commitments to minimizing the use of highly enriched uranium and expanding discussions on nuclear safety.
At the first Nuclear Security Summit in the US in 2010, US President Barak Obama set a target of controlling nuclear materials by 2014. Two years later, the world is still seeking ways to ensure nuclear security. The number of countries possessing nuclear materials is increasing and so is the capacity of terrorist organizations trying to obtain these materials.
A recent report of the International Atomic Energy Agency says that in 2011, there were a total of 1,600 tonnes of enriched uranium and 500 tonnes of plutonium all over the world, enough to produce approximately 127,000 nuclear warheads.
At the same time, between 1993 and 2011, there were more than 2,000 reports of leaks, thefts and illegal trafficking of radioactive materials. 60 percent of the stolen volume can’t be found.