Preventing the Acquisition by Terrorists of Radioactive Sources

A/RES/79/55No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 98ddPreventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sources, published in 2024.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2011–2024

2024A/RES/79/55Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sourcesLatestCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/77/77Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sourcesCompare with previous version
2020A/RES/75/70Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sourcesCompare with previous version
2018A/RES/73/66Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sourcesCompare with previous version
2016A/RES/71/66Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sourcesCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 topics

Counter-Terrorism Nuclear Facilities Nuclear Safety Nuclear Terrorism Radioactive Materials

What does this mandate say?

15 operative paragraphs

Calls upon Member States to support international efforts to prevent the acquisition and use by terrorists of radioactive sources and, if necessary, suppress such acts, in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with international law;

Encourages all Member States that have not yet done so to become party to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism as soon as possible, in accordance with their legal and constitutional processes;

Invites Member States, in coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency and in accordance with its statute, to consider the merits of conducting an evaluation of the existing international framework applicable to the security of radioactive sources and, if necessary, to explore possible options for its potential strengthening;

Urges Member States to take and strengthen national measures and capabilities, as appropriate, to prevent the acquisition and use by terrorists of radioactive sources as well as terrorist attacks on nuclear plants and facilities which would result in radioactive releases, and, if necessary, to suppress such acts, in particular by taking effective measures to account for, control, secure and physically protect such facilities, materials and sources in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with their international obligations;

Stresses the need for Member States to take effective measures, following their international and domestic obligations, for the security and accountability of the transport of radioactive sources;

Encourages Member States to enhance their national capacities with appropriate means of detection and related architecture or systems, including through international cooperation and assistance in conformity with international law and regulations, with a view to preventing, detecting and responding to illicit trafficking in radioactive sources;

Invites Member States, in particular those producing and distributing radioactive sources, to support and endorse the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency to enhance the safety and security of radioactive sources, as described in General Conference resolutions GC(68)/RES/8, on nuclear and radiation safety, and GC(68)/RES/9, on nuclear security, and to enhance the security of radioactive sources, as described in the Nuclear Security Plan 2022–2025;

Urges all States to maintain effective security of radioactive sources, including of storage facilities, that may pose a significant risk to individuals, society and the environment throughout their life cycle, and encourages all States to make political commitments to the non-legally binding and voluntary Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its supplementary Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources and Guidance on the Management of Disused Radioactive Sources, and to implement these, as appropriate, in order to maintain effective security of radioactive sources throughout their life cycle;

Encourages Member States to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to enhance the non-legally binding international framework for the security of radioactive sources, especially on the safe and secure management of disused radioactive sources, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Agency, in particular resolutions GC(68)/RES/8 and GC(68)/RES/9;

Recognizes the value of information exchange on national approaches to controlling radioactive sources, and takes note of the endorsement by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency of a proposal for a formalized process for a voluntary periodic exchange on information and lessons learned and for the evaluation of progress made by States towards implementing the provisions of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources;

Encourages Member States to participate, on a voluntary basis, in the Incident and Trafficking Database programme of the International Atomic Energy Agency;

Welcomes the efforts undertaken by Member States, including through international cooperation under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to search for, locate, recover and secure lost or orphaned radioactive sources within their State jurisdiction or territory, encourages continued efforts in this way, and also encourages cooperation among and between Member States and through relevant international and, where appropriate, regional organizations aimed at strengthening national capacities in this regard;

Encourages Member States, in accordance with their national laws, policies and priorities, to provide support for academic and scientific research to develop technically and economically appropriate technologies with the capability to further improve the security of radioactive sources or reduce the risk of acquisition by terrorists and of malicious use of radioactive sources, including by, on a voluntary basis and when technically feasible and economically realistic, developing technologies that do not rely on high activity radioactive sources and developing exchanges on alternative technologies, without unduly hindering the beneficial uses of radioactive sources;

Invites all Member States to participate, on a voluntary basis, in the annual meeting of the ad hoc working group of stakeholder States involved with alternative technologies to high activity radioactive sources;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its eighty-first session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sources”.

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What does this mandate say?

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