By Huma Rehman
In post 9/11 scenario
concerns regarding nuclear proliferation and terrorism became serious matter
for global policy makers. States cognizant of the emerging challenges took
steps to strengthen nuclear security regime. Nuclear security is defined as the
prevention and detection of, and response to theft, sabotage, unauthorized
access, illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving nuclear or other
radioactive substances or their associated facilities. It covers both security
and safety aspects to maintain nuclear security culture. In regard to states
possessing nuclear weapons use-able materials, being sovereign states, pledged
to implement a nuclear security regime. It comprises abiding by tangible and
intangible factors including confidentiality of information to physical
protection. Because it is a national responsibility of a state and the
principal shared objective is to limit the fallout resulting from any accident
related to radioactive material and associated facilities.
US President Obama,
addressing the world from Prague, in 2009 termed nuclear terrorism one of the
greatest threats to international security. He announced the initiative of
Nuclear Security Summit process. It also led to another project named the
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) index. It is an effort for controlling global
nuclear terrorism threats by indexing nuclear material possessing states.
It may consider an opportunity for the establishment of a culture that will
emphasize responsibility and accountability among individuals involved in the
management and protection of nuclear facilities and material at every stage of
the organizational hierarchy, hence contributes to the security and safety of
nuclear materials. But it has some technical loopholes which raise concerns for
some states in complex regional security environment.
NTI Assessment
The strengths of NTI
index include an idea for assessing nuclear safety and security parameters
adopted by states around the world. But this objective requires common
principles, assessing states, rigorous and prudent approaches, and effective
communication and open, two way communications.
The layout, approach,
standards and methodology of NTI Index are designed in such a manner that it
serves the interests of developed states. On account of geographical and
domestic considerations they enjoy a stable political situation. They continue
to maintain a secure regional environment. It thus, is reflected in the higher
score of the western states in the NTI Index in comparison to turbulent
developing countries and their complex regional environment.
These considerations of
regional complexities require attention for progress and success of initiatives
such as NTI to achieve its greater goal of global nuclear security.
Because with this pattern of NTI Index it deflects focus from the significant
matters of quality, safety and security of nuclear weapons and materials and
adherence to the various nuclear safety and security norms. By assessing
existing methodology of NTI, it appears to justify certain goals or expecting
specific outcomes.
NTI Process
The NTI Index report
lists and evaluates states possessing nuclear weapons use-able materials. The
identified criteria by NTI categorize; quantities and sites of nuclear
materials, security and control measures, global norms, domestic commitments
and capacity, societal factors and sabotage ranking. Sabotage Ranking has been
included in this recent third document of 2016 NTI index.
Quantitative measuring
of the regulations and practices being followed by various states is a
difficult task. It hence, becomes a limitation of the Index. There is paucity
of publically available data, due to the sensitivity surrounding the security
and safety practices of state parties. Thus, any ranking is bound to be a
limited assessment of the national nuclear safety and security practices.
In terms of contribution
made by the NTI is a new category of potential threats emerging from cyber sabotage.
Addressing these threats will enhance nuclear security. A new “sabotage
ranking” of 45 countries with certain types of nuclear facilities shows that
many countries considering nuclear power plants are struggling to establish the
basic measures necessary to prevent an act of sabotage that could result in a
radiological release similar in scale to the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Pakistan and NTI
While assessing steps
taken by Pakistan, the recent NTI Index mentioned country’s new cyber security
regulations initiative but on the other hand its score still lies in bottom
line. This point should be considered by NTI as defined in its index
calculus. The NTI Report also highlighted that Pakistan is improving it
nuclear security ranging from on-site physical protection to new laws and
regulations requiring licensees to provide physical protection to nuclear sites
and on-site reviews of security. It has an excellent record of not having a
single incident of nuclear facility or radiological material’s theft reported
so far which is great achievement for a nuclear weapon state. Pakistan’s
national organizations responsible for nuclear security and safety are
confident not complacent. Pakistan will ensure its commitment to further
improve its ranking in future.
Conclusion
It is significant to
refer that nuclear security is exclusively the sovereign right of a state; but
collective and mutually agreed steps by states to guarantee safety and security
against the existing global threats is dire need of hour. In regard to enhance
the efficacy of NTI, considerations of efforts taken by states to enhance
nuclear safety and security parameters, regional security complexity and
sensitivity of states regional environment are important elements to count on
for indexing states. In this way, it will also help to promote other
initiatives, including Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) process. In general, the
NSS is a process; it should not be expected to turn into a legal binding
mechanism because of its political aspects. But the global community must seek
viable options for an effective and accountable global system for how nuclear
materials should be secured to protect the world from dangers of nuclear
terrorism; indeed it is a shared responsibility. The current global nuclear
security system still has some critical gaps to be filled that prevent it from
being truly comprehensive and effective.
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