Nuclear Security Legislation Database

Implementation of certain international instruments to secure nuclear and other radioactive material

The international legal framework for nuclear security consists of a number of conventions and agreements. Effective implementation of these instruments enables States to secure nuclear and other radioactive material within their borders and during import and export, and gives them the tools to combat crimes and terrorist acts involving these materials.

The legal framework consists of:

  • international agreements on nuclear weapons and material:
    • 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
    • 1980 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) (and 2005 Amendment)
    • 2005 International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT)
  • Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources
  • other related international instruments:
    • 2010 Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation (Beijing Convention)
    • 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (as amended by the 2005 Protocol)
    • 1988 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (as amended by the 2005 Protocol)

The number of international instruments relating to the security of nuclear and other radioactive material, and the considerable overlap among them, poses a challenge to legislators. VERTIC has the necessary expertise to work with States on the development of national legislation to implement these instruments, at no cost, under our National Implementation Measures (NIM) Programme.

The Legislation Database

The database contains examples of national legislation (e.g., laws and regulations) from countries in all regions of the world covering: offences and penalties; jurisdiction over offences; measures for national enforcement and international co-operation; measures to account for, secure and physically protect nuclear and other radioactive material; and measures to control transfers of these materials. Some legislation in our database may not have a direct relation to the international instruments listed above, however, and the NIM Programme does not endorse that legislation in this collection adequately enforces these instruments.

Methodology

The database was launched in January 2014. It contains the laws, regulations and other national measures that NIM Programme staff have collected and analysed to prepare surveys of national legislation to implement the instruments to secure nuclear and other radioactive material. The database is updated on a regular basis as new surveys are completed.

Contact the NIM Programme

If you have any additional laws or regulations that you would like to see added to the database, or if you believe some of the legislation is inaccurate or no longer in force, please contact VERTIC’s NIM Programme. Legislation surveys can also be provided to respective State authorities upon written request.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of all material reproduced in the database, the NIM Programme does not guarantee that it is free from error or omission. Any errors in an official version have been reproduced for authenticity. We encourage your comments on any errors or omissions and welcome the submission of additional legislative texts.

Every effort has been made to ensure that legislation in the database is the official version published by States in their national gazettes. However, only the copy officially published by the State concerned is deemed authentic.

For some legislation officially published in a language other than English, original versions and in some cases a translation have been provided. All such translations are unofficial, unless stated otherwise.

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