Round The World
New Delhi, 6 April 2016
Nuclear Security Summit
INDIA AFFIRMS COMMITMENT
By Amrita Banerjee
(School of
International Studies, JNU, New Delhi)
With the constant onslaught of terrorist attacks and the
scourge of nuclear terrorism hanging precariously in this tech-savvy world, the
timing and relevance of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) couldn’t have been
more apt. Importantly for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the
opportunity to dispel concerns and reiterate his government’s commitment to
nuclear safety by spelling out various initiatives undertaken.
The recently-concluded Summit
in Washington
was widely represented by leaders from over 50 countries and four international
organizations--the European Union, IAEA, Interpol and the United Nations. It is
an initiative of President Barack Obama to coordinate international efforts to
prevent terror organizations from acquiring nuclear weapons or material. It also
aimed at getting the political leadership involved in dealing with the threat
of nuclear terrorism. Since the first NSS in 2010, international measures have
reduced the risk of nuclear theft and made the illicit transportation of
nuclear material difficult. Around 3800 kg of vulnerable fissile material has
been secured and 329 sea and airports around the world now scan cargo for
radioactivity.
Such a Summit
has become the need of the day because the spectre of terrorism has only grown
bigger as the Islamic State has more resolve and resources to seek a nuclear
weapon than Al-Qaeda had. With terrorism spreading its tentacles whether it is
in Pathankot, Paris or Brussels, care has to be taken to see that
nukes do not get into the wrong hands.
Security experts have identified at least four specific threats
that terror outfits pose. Firstly, these groups could acquire a nuclear weapon
from the arsenal of a nuclear State; secondly, they could acquire enough
fissile material to construct an improvised nuclear device; thirdly, they could
acquire radioactive material from civilian sources such as hospitals or
university laboratories that could be mixed with conventional explosives to
make a radioactive dispersal device or ‘dirty bomb’. And lastly, terror groups
could also sabotage a nuclear facility leading to large-scale loss of lives and
destruction.
Amidst this entire discussion the question arises as to the specific
role India
can play in this arrangement. A recent report by the Washington DC-based
Nuclear Threat Initiative, ranked India low in nuclear security
measures. It cited corruption as a key reason that could compromise its nuclear
facilities. Further, it opined that India’s nuclear materials’ security
conditions could be improved by strengthening laws and regulations for on-site
physical protection, control and accounting, and mitigating the insider threat,
and ensuring protection of materials during transport as in line with IAEA
guidance.
Even though the Government of India doesn’t take this report
seriously, India’s
situation continues to be vulnerable because the country is a source of nuclear
material and a potential target of nuclear terrorism. While the nation takes
pride in the security of its nuclear installations, ‘orphan sources’ i.e.
devices with radioactive materials outside regulatory and security measures
could pose serious risks.
Highlighting India’s
responsibility for stewardship of nuclear weapons and materials, US Secretary of State John Kerry finds India’s role
particularly important when the Indian subcontinent might see a possible arms
construction in future. Earlier, the US
had repeatedly said battlefield deployments make nuclear weapons vulnerable to
theft and sabotage and has called upon Pakistan to desist from the move.
However, Islamabad
has turned down this request to hold back its deployment of tactical nuclear
weapons.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has stressed on the
fact that India
was deeply interested in seeing that the safety and security of the radioactive
material must be ensured. In tune with the NSA’s assertion, India pledged a
contribution of $1 million and Modi underlined the priority India has attached
to nuclear security at home, in terms of institutional frameworks, resources
for training people, and by continuing to reflect India’s international
obligations in national actions. He also quoted the example of the use of
Cesium 137 and India’s
plans for enhanced engagement with the IAEA, Interpol and other international
forums on the issue of nuclear security. In tune with it, India has also
amended the Indian Atomic Energy Act and also established an independent
Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority.
However, one of the crucial issues talked about in the
conference for the first time was that there should be a reduction in the
nuclear arsenal of India and
Pakistan
who should make sure that they do not move in wrong direction as they develop
military doctrines. Often quoted in this context is the mutual accommodation
between the Sino-US nuclear story, whereby Beijing
and Washington
have established an annual dialogue mechanism, a China-based nuclear security
centre besides managing the nuclear waste jointly along with curbing illicit
trafficking of nuclear material together.
But the crux of the story is that substantial progress in
this sphere can never be achieved till the US
and Russia,
the two largest possessors of nuclear arsenal, are prepared to lead the way. In
this regard, Russia was
conspicuous by its absence because of its strained relations with the US. Their
disagreements could limit the prospects of international cooperation on the
issue but in reality despite differences Russia
has taken the responsibility to remove the highly enriched uranium from Iran and is also cooperating on the New START
Treaty and has removed 1300 tonnes of chemical weapons from Syria in recent
years. With a tense Korean Peninsula, whereby North
Korea has declared its intention to pursue its nuclear
and ballistic missile programme in defiance of the US
and its allies, Moscow’s
role would be more prominent in future.
The joint communiqué of the Summit noted that “more work remains to be
done to prevent the non-State actors from obtaining nuclear and other
radioactive materials which could be used for malicious purposes.” As yet
another Summit
drew its curtain down for this year it has achieved only little in reality.
With a patchwork of many treaty and commitments, important
issues -- like those including the vast majority of fissile material not in
civil use; growing civil stocks of separated plutonium; sabotage of nuclear
facilities; cyber threats to nuclear security; and the security of readily
accessible high-risk radioactive sources that could be used in “dirty bombs” or
other radiological weapons- are yet to be addressed.
Without prevention and prosecution of acts of terrorism
there could be no deterrence against nuclear terrorism. In this respect,
nuclear security must remain the abiding national priority for all countries
and all States must completely abide by their international obligations.
However, the weakness of summit outcome is shown by the number of summit
participants that did not join the Joint Initiative. Considering that
the commitments in the initiative are voluntary and qualified, the fact that
over one-third of abstained is disturbing.
While it will be open for the next US President to
convene more Summits in future, this year’s summit concluded with the formation
of five action plans on existing international platforms that will continue
with the nuclear security efforts and formation of a Nuclear Security contact
group to help expert officials to coordinate with each other.
Whether the international community and the
next US
President can muster the political will to finish the nuclear security race is
an open question. Till
then this Summit
would continue being a “sprint in the middle of a marathon”. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|