Nuclear Security Summits and the International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM)

The Nuclear Security Summits were meetings of world leaders about nuclear terrorism. This card shows how the idea began. It also explains a few words you need for the rest of the lesson.

How did the idea start?

In April 2009, President Obama gave a speech in Prague. He said that nuclear terrorism “is the most immediate and extreme threat to global security”.

He announced a new international effort to secure vulnerable nuclear material around the world. It would begin with a global summit on nuclear security that the United States would host.

So the summits were a US-led initiative, launched by President Obama. The UN and the IAEA took part as invited organisations, from the first summit in 2010. The archive names a host country for each summit. So the summits were not UN-run meetings.

What did the first summit set out to do?

The first summit met in Washington on 12 and 13 April 2010. Its Communiqué welcomed President Obama’s call to secure all vulnerable nuclear material in four years.

A Communiqué is the joint statement that all the participating countries agree. IDSA, an Indian think tank, wrote in 2014 that this four-year goal had not yet been achieved.

Which words should I know?

• Nuclear security: the effort to stop non-State actors from getting nuclear and other radioactive material. The 2016 Communiqué states this aim.
• Non-State actor: a group that is not a government, such as a terrorist group.
• HEU: highly enriched uranium. IPFM calls HEU and plutonium the key ingredients in nuclear weapons.
• Sherpa: a senior expert who prepares a summit for a leader. The archive says sherpas agreed the priorities before each summit.
• Gift basket: a joint statement by a group of countries on one theme.

There were four summits, held two years apart from 2010 to 2016. This card gives the host, the dates and the main result of each. The summit archive is the main source for the numbers.

How do the four summits compare?

One archive history page says the first summit was held in March 2010. The archive’s own 2010 page gives 12 and 13 April. The Washington Communiqué is dated 13 April. This lesson uses April.

What happened at Washington in 2010?

World leaders from 47 countries and three organisations took part. The organisations were the European Union, the IAEA and the United Nations.

The main outcome was the Washington Work Plan. It gives detailed guidance for concrete national and international actions. The plan includes these steps:

• Treaties: ratify and implement treaties on nuclear security and nuclear terrorism.
• HEU: convert civilian facilities that use HEU to non-weapons-usable materials.
• People: educate and train staff so countries have the people to protect their materials.
• Exercises: run joint exercises among law enforcement and customs officials.

At the 2010 summit, 32 countries made over 70 commitments. The archive says most of them were met before the 2012 summit.

What was new at Seoul in 2012?

Six new countries joined the 47 from Washington. They were Azerbaijan, Denmark, Gabon, Hungary, Lithuania and Romania. Interpol joined the EU, the IAEA and the UN as the fourth organisation.

The summit focused on three issues. They were cooperation against nuclear terrorism, protection of nuclear materials and related facilities, and prevention of illicit trafficking.

The Seoul Communiqué named 11 priority areas. It urged countries to ratify the 2005 Amendment to the CPPNM by 2014. Card 6 explains that treaty.

Seoul also introduced gift baskets. Each basket is a joint statement by a group of countries. The group pledges to act together on one theme, such as the security of radioactive materials.

The archive counts thirteen joint statements at Seoul. An India TV report gives fourteen gift baskets. So “about a dozen” is the safe way to say it.

What came out of The Hague in 2014?

The Netherlands hosted the third summit. Fifty-three countries and four organisations were invited. The archive says 58 world leaders made concrete agreements there.

The focus was the global nuclear security architecture. The summit also stressed cooperation between governments and the nuclear industry.

Sherpas prepared the summit. Their process began in November 2012 in Istanbul and ended in The Hague.

A Dutch-led Joint Statement on Strengthening Nuclear Security Implementation came out of the summit. On 9 October 2014 the Netherlands conveyed it to the IAEA, for itself and 34 other countries. INFCIRC/869 is the number the IAEA gave it when it circulated the text to all Member States.

The subscribers pledged to apply key IAEA guidance and accept voluntary peer reviews. Jordan became the 36th subscriber on 13 November 2015.

IDSA judged that The Hague Communiqué broke no fresh ground. It added that the text pushes states to take greater responsibility. IDSA is a secondary source here. It also noted that this Communiqué ran to 36 paragraphs, against 13 for Seoul.

What happened in Washington in 2016?

The fourth summit met on 31 March and 1 April 2016. The Communiqué is dated 1 April 2016.

The archive’s note of 10 March 2016 calls it the last summit in its current format. It adds that President Obama described it as a “transition summit” in 2014.

The archive says Obama invited more than fifty heads of state. The UN, the IAEA, INTERPOL and the European Union were also invited.

IPFM is a different kind of body from the summits. It is a group of experts, not a meeting of governments. This card shows who set it up, what it studies and who backs it.

Who set up IPFM, and when?

IPFM was founded in January 2006. It describes itself as an independent group of arms-control and nonproliferation experts. They come from both nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states.

What does IPFM try to do?

Its mission is to analyse the technical basis for practical policy initiatives. The initiatives aim to secure, consolidate and reduce stockpiles of HEU and plutonium.

IPFM calls these two fissile materials the key ingredients in nuclear weapons. It says their control matters for disarmament, for halting the spread of nuclear weapons and for keeping terrorists from getting them.

So its mission is wider than nuclear-security policy. It covers stocks held for weapons and stocks held for civilian use.

Who are its members and backers?

As at its About page, IPFM’s members are nuclear experts from seventeen countries. They include India, Pakistan, Iran and China. Seven of the countries are nuclear-weapon states and ten are not.

Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security gives IPFM administrative and research support. Its initial support came as grants to Princeton from the MacArthur Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

IPFM’s About page says the Panel has been co-chaired since 2015 by Alexander Glaser, Zia Mian and Tatsujiro Suzuki. The page itself carries a 2022 date, so check it for later changes.

India has had a co-chair. He was Dr R. Rajaraman of Jawaharlal Nehru University, from 2007 to 2014.

The About page says the Panel holds full meetings twice a year. It shares its reports with international organisations, governments and non-governmental groups.

Is IPFM part of the IAEA or the UN?

IPFM calls itself an independent group. Its About page names Princeton University for administrative and research support, and grants for initial support. The page does not describe it as an IAEA body or a UN body.

The 2016 summit ended the process in one format. It did not end the work. This card shows what was set up to carry the work on.

What did the 2016 Communiqué say about the end?

The Communiqué says the 2016 Summit “marks the end of the Nuclear Security Summit process in this format”. The words “in this format” matter.

The leaders also said the Communiqués of 2010, 2012 and 2014 and the 2010 Work Plan “will continue to guide our efforts”. So “the final summit” is a loose phrase. The safer wording is the last summit in that format.

Which bodies got Action Plans?

The Communiqué attached Action Plans for five bodies. They are the UN, the IAEA, INTERPOL, the GICNT and the Global Partnership.

The GICNT is the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. The Global Partnership is the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. The Communiqué says the plans are voluntary and follow national laws.

What is the Nuclear Security Contact Group?

A separate joint statement of 1 April 2016 committed its signers to set up the Nuclear Security Contact Group. The statement lists 39 governments, including India, plus INTERPOL and the UN. The fact sheet also counts thirty-nine summit participants.

The statement tasked the Contact Group with convening annually on the margins of the IAEA General Conference. The fact sheet says it would meet at least annually. It was to track the summit commitments, the Work Plan, the Action Plans and the gift baskets. It could also advise leaders on any future summits. These are the 2016 mandates.

How do IAEA conferences keep up the momentum?

The Communiqué welcomes regular high-level IAEA conferences, to keep political momentum. The IAEA calls its later series the International Conference on Nuclear Security, or ICONS.

The IAEA’s ICONS 2020 page announced the third conference in the series for 10 to 14 February 2020 at the IAEA in Vienna. ICONS 2024 was the fourth. The IAEA reports that it ran from 20 to 24 May 2024 under the tagline “Shaping the Future”. The IAEA reported over 2,000 participants from 142 countries and 16 organizations.

The 2016 Communiqué put the IAEA at the centre of the work. This card shows what the leaders asked of it and what it offers States. It also clears up the name of the INSSP.

What role did the 2016 Communiqué give the IAEA?

The Communiqué reaffirms the central role of the IAEA in strengthening the global nuclear security architecture. It gives the IAEA a central role in guidance. It also gives the IAEA a leading role in coordinating activities among organisations.

The same Communiqué stresses that States hold the fundamental responsibility for the security of nuclear material and facilities under their control.

The IAEA held a conference in Vienna in December 2016. About 2,100 participants from 139 Member States came. Its Ministerial Declaration said responsibility for nuclear security rests entirely with each State.

What is an INSSP?

INSSP stands for Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan. It lists a State’s nuclear security needs, who is responsible, and a timeline. The IAEA gives it to States on request, and it builds on the IAEA Nuclear Security Series.

The 2016 IAEA Action Plan asks the IAEA to keep using these plans to help States build effective and sustainable security systems.

There is a name trap. The IAEA topic page now spells the S as “Sustainability”. The 2016 Action Plan and the IAEA brochure say “Support”. This lesson uses Support.

Which services and databases does the IAEA run?

The 2016 IAEA Action Plan names the International Physical Protection Advisory Service, or IPPAS, among the services States can use.

The IAEA also keeps the Incident and Trafficking Database, or ITDB. In 2016 States confirmed 189 incidents to it. Most involved radioactive sources and contaminated material. Thirty-three involved nuclear material.

Three legal texts matter here. Two are treaties and one is a Security Council resolution. This card shows what each does and who owns it.

What is the CPPNM?

CPPNM stands for the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. One line of the 2016 Communiqué adds “and Facilities” to the name. The IAEA page uses the shorter name.

It was adopted in Vienna on 26 October 1979. It entered into force on 8 February 1987. The IAEA is its depositary, the body that holds the treaty.

The original treaty covers nuclear material in peaceful use during international transport. It also makes certain offences crimes and sets up cooperation.

What did the 2005 Amendment change?

The Amendment was adopted on 8 July 2005. It entered into force on 8 May 2016.

It extends protection to nuclear facilities and to material in domestic use, storage and transport. It adds offences such as smuggling of nuclear material and sabotage of nuclear facilities.

Entry into force needed two-thirds of the states that are parties. That threshold was met on 8 April 2016, when Nicaragua became the 102nd state to adhere. World Nuclear News counted 152 parties to the CPPNM in May 2016.

Two sources give two counts of parties still outside the Amendment. World Nuclear News said 50 on 9 May 2016. The IAEA said 48 at the end of 2016. Each count belongs to its own date.

What is ICSANT?

ICSANT is the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The UN General Assembly adopted it on 13 April 2005, in resolution A/RES/59/290. It entered into force on 7 July 2007.

The UN Treaty Collection shows 115 signatories and 127 parties, as at 8 October 2026.

It lists India with signature on 24 July 2006 and ratification on 1 December 2006. India made a reservation that it is not bound by Article 23(1), the arbitration clause.

What is UN Security Council Resolution 1540?

Resolution 1540 was adopted on 28 April 2004. It acts under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

It decides that all States shall refrain from supporting non-State actors that try to get nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. It also requires States to adopt and enforce appropriate effective laws against such activity.

Resolution 2663, in 2022, extended the mandate of the 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts. The new end date is 30 November 2032.

India’s Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems Act, 2005 gives effect to its 1540 obligations, among other things. This is India’s own statement in its 2016 report.

Whose instrument is it?

India attended all four summits, but at different levels. This card shows who went and what India announced or joined. Some lines come from a think tank and from news reports, and the text says so.

Who represented India at each summit?

India is in the 2010 participant list. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Washington. The MEA briefing of 11 April 2010 says he arrived the day before.

At Seoul in 2012, the Prime Minister spoke at the plenary.

IDSA says the Prime Minister attended the first two summits. It says the External Affairs Minister attended The Hague in 2014. IDSA is the source for this detail, so treat it with care.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 2016 Opening Plenary in Washington on 1 April 2016. India’s delegation is listed on the archive’s 2016 page.

What did India announce in 2010 and 2012?

At the 2010 summit India announced the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP). Card 8 covers it.

At Seoul, the Prime Minister announced USD 1 million for the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund for 2012-13. He recalled that India had hosted a Sherpa meeting in New Delhi in January. India’s 2012 report puts that meeting on 16 to 17 January 2012.

What did India do in 2014 and 2016?

IDSA notes that India joined no gift basket in 2014.

An India TV report of 2 April 2016 quotes an MEA official. It says India would join the Trilateral Initiative and three other gift baskets. The baskets covered counter nuclear smuggling, centres of excellence such as GCNEP, and a contact group.

India is on the signatory list of the joint statement on countering nuclear smuggling. It is also on the Contact Group list.

What does India’s 2016 report say about its own system?

These points are India’s own statements, in its progress report of 31 March 2016.

• Treaties: India says it is party to the CPPNM and has ratified its 2005 Amendment. It is also party to ICSANT.
• Terrorism treaties: India says it is party to all 13 universal anti-terrorism instruments.
• Regulator: the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) oversees the security of nuclear and radiological material.
• HEU: the report says India’s only reactor that used HEU has been shut down.
• Smuggling: a Counter Nuclear Smuggling Team links the concerned ministries and agencies.
• GICNT: in its 31 March 2016 report, India proposed to host a GICNT working-group meeting in India in 2017.

GCNEP links the summits to an Indian institution. India announced it at the 2010 summit. This card shows what it is, what it teaches and what happened there in 2025.

What is GCNEP, and where is it?

GCNEP is the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership. The Government of India approved it in September 2010. It is the sixth R&D unit under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

It is at Kheri-Jasaur near Bahadurgarh, in Jhajjar district, Haryana. It aims to promote international collaboration in nuclear energy research and development, and capacity-building.

What does it teach?

India’s 2016 report lists five schools. They cover advanced nuclear energy systems, nuclear security, radiological safety, material characterisation and radioisotope applications.

The report says GCNEP signed MoUs with the IAEA, the USA, France, Russia and the UK. By March 2016 it had run over 30 programmes. They drew over 300 participants from about 30 countries.

What happened at GCNEP in 2025?

On 18 March 2025, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi opened the S N Bose Building of GCNEP at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi. PIB reported that a six-month Certificate Course on Nuclear Engineering was introduced at the event.

PIB reported on 18 March 2025 that the course would cater to 40 international and 10 Indian participants per batch.

IDSA wrote in 2014 that India had fulfilled its pledge to offer GCNEP. IDSA is a secondary source for this line.

The 2017 Prelims paper had one question on these two bodies. This card shows the question and the official answer. It then lists the traps.

Which question was it?

How do the statements check out?

• Statement 1 is false. The summits were a leaders’ process begun by President Obama. Countries hosted them: the United States, South Korea, the Netherlands and the United States again. The UN and the IAEA took part as invited organisations.
• Statement 2 is false. IPFM describes itself as an independent expert panel. Princeton University supports it with administrative and research help.
• So the answer is (d). Neither statement is correct.

What are the traps?

1. “Under the aegis of the UN.” The UN took part in all four summits as an invited organisation. Countries were the hosts.
2. “An organ of the IAEA.” The IAEA did take part in the summits. The 2016 Communiqué gives it a central role in the nuclear security architecture. IPFM is still an independent group.
3. The word “final.” The 2016 Communiqué marks the end of the process “in this format”. The Contact Group agreed in 2016 and the IAEA conferences were meant to carry the work on.
4. Real UN and IAEA links. The IAEA is the CPPNM depositary. The UN General Assembly adopted ICSANT. Resolution 1540 is a Security Council text. Do not transfer these links to the summits or to IPFM.
5. India’s level. India attended all four summits. IDSA says the External Affairs Minister, not the Prime Minister, went to The Hague.
6. Host count. Washington hosted twice. Seoul and The Hague hosted once each.