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Israel ratifies convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials . |
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| 24/12/2001 |
The Cabinet decided today (Monday), 24.12.2001, to ratify the Convention
on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials , in accordance with the proposal of Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
The CPPNM was signed in 1979 and came into force in 1987.
The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency serves as CPPNM trustee.
In addition to every signatory's obligation to secure nuclear materials
under its control, the CPPNM also obligates signatories to secure these
materials during international transfers.
The CPPNM includes, inter
alia, guiding principles on the transfer of nuclear materials with the
goal of preventing theft.
Israel signed the CPPNM in 1983 but did not ratify it immediately due to
legal problems. Now that these problems have been resolved, there is no
hindrance to ratifying the treaty.
The CPPNM's importance increased in the early 1990s following the
break-up of the Soviet Union and the danger that nuclear materials could
be smuggled out of it. The 11.9.2001 terrorist attacks, as well as the
subsequent anthrax attacks, have further increased international
awareness of the repercussions of the theft and smuggling of materials
that could be used to perpetrate acts of nuclear and radiological
terrorism. Today, the international community sees the CPPNM as a
central tool in preventing thefts - and the illegal use - of these
materials.
The ratification of the CPPNM gives expression to Israel's recognition
of its importance and serves Israel's interest vis-א-vis preventing
proliferation and the struggle against non-conventional terrorism.
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