Nuclear Security News and Member Updates Roundup, November 2021

Dear INSF Members,

This past month, the International Nuclear Security Forum published, with support from the Henry L. Stimson Center, a Catalogue of Civil Society Activities Strengthening Nuclear Security. As we’ve described in previous messages, the catalogue is a collection of projects led by civil society organizations that helps governments, international institutions, and industry better understand the myriad ways in which these groups contribute to nuclear security. In total, eighteen INSF members, spread across five continents, submitted more than sixty projects to the catalogue. In the coming weeks and months, we will provide updates on how we will be promoting the catalogue. Thank you again to all those who contributed to making this project successful.

Best,
Nick

Join the conversation on Twitter: @INS_Forum

Updates

Last month, the International Nuclear Security Forum launched the pilot edition of the Catalogue of Civil Society Activities Strengthening Nuclear Security. View the catalogue.

Nuclear Security News

International Architecture

• IAEA Completes Nuclear Security Advisory Mission in Turkey: “The team observed that Turkey has established a nuclear security regime with essential elements of the IAEA’s guidance on the fundamentals of nuclear security. The team offered recommendations and suggestions to support Turkey in further enhancing and sustaining nuclear security. Good practices were identified that can serve as examples to other IAEA Member States to help strengthen their nuclear security activities.”
• IAEA Completes Nuclear Security Advisory Mission in Czech Republic: “The team observed that the nuclear security regime in the Czech Republic is robust and well-established, and incorporates the fundamental principles of the amended CPPNM. The team provided recommendations and suggestions to support the Czech Republic in enhancing and sustaining nuclear security. Good practices were identified that can serve as examples to other IAEA Member States to help strengthen their nuclear security activities.”

Material Minimization

• MOX Fuel from France Arrives at Nuclear Power Plant in Japan: “A cargo ship carrying uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide fuel processed in France arrived Wednesday at a nuclear power plant in central Japan, the third such shipment since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster…The fuel, created using plutonium and uranium extracted from reprocessing spent reactor fuel, is a key component of resource-poor Japan’s nuclear fuel recycling policy.”

Weapons, Materials, and Facilities

• Sunao Tsuboi, 96, Dies; Hiroshima Victim Who Lived to Tell His Story: “Sunao Tsuboi, who as a 20-year-old engineering student found himself less than a mile from the center of the atomic blast at Hiroshima and somehow survived, and who went on to devote himself to the cause of nuclear disarmament, including in a much publicized meeting with President Barack Obama in 2016, died on Oct. 24 at hospital in Hiroshima. He was 96.”
• U.S. Suspends Nuclear Trade With Chinese Group: “The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has suspended shipments of radioactive materials to China’s state-owned and -operated nuclear company, the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). The action includes restrictions on deuterium, a hydrogen isotope used in nuclear reactors and boosted nuclear weapons.”

Security Culture

• Emergency Services, Ministries to Drill Response to Radiological Terror: “The IDF, emergency services and relevant government offices will drill on Tuesday the response to a radiological terror attack, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday… The drill is taking place as part of a series of drills concerning unconventional terrorism which take place every year. The Defense Ministry stressed that the drill was planned in advance and is not related any occurrences.”
• LANL’s Improperly Stored Nuclear Safes Raise Larger Concerns: “Los Alamos National Laboratory workers left items atop nuclear material safes, raising questions about why personnel weren’t properly trained and whether such lapses reflect the plutonium facility is getting busier as it’s rebuilt to produce nuclear bomb cores, according to an independent safety board report. Many safes require six inches of space around them, yet there have been several recent instances in which items were discovered on safes.”

Threats

• CISA Publishes Directive of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities: “The directive has marked the first time the CISA has imposed government-wide requirements to fix vulnerabilities affecting both internet-facing and non-internet facing assets. It also recommended the private sector take note of vulnerabilities. The directive has been applied to all software and hardware found on federal information systems, including those managed on agency premises or hosted by third parties on an agency’s behalf.”
• Supply-Chain Vulnerabilities and 4 Other Threats to the US that the FBI Director is Worried About: “FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that foreign terrorist organizations, homegrown violent extremists, cyberattacks, and malign foreign influence present the biggest threats to the US. The threats come from both state and non-state actors, with China and Russia behind some of the challenges.”
• Youth in $37 Million Crypto Heist; BitConnect Ponzi Payout: “A Canadian teenager is under arrest after allegedly stealing C$46 million ($37 million) from one person in a cryptocurrency scam. The Hamilton police in Ontario, Canada, who made the arrest, say the individual allegedly conducted a SIM swap scam… which allows a threat actor to intercept two-factor authorization requests. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, along with Canada’s Hamilton police, jointly investigated the theft of cryptocurrency from a victim located in the United States in March 2020.”

Member Organization Announcements and Updates

Arms Control Association

• Frank N. von Hippel authored a piece in Arms Control Today, entitled, “The Australia-UK-U.S. Submarine Deal: Mitigating Proliferation Concerns.” Read the article.
• Trevor Findlay wrote an article on the AUKUS submarine deal, “The Australia-UK-US Submarine Deal: Not Necessarily a Sure or Good Thing,” for the November edition of Arms Control Today. Read the piece.

The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies

• CNS conducted a three-day virtual workshop on “Security Culture for Users of Radioactive Material and Sources” for over 50 experts and officials from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This was done in collaboration with Tajikistan’s Nuclear Radiation Safety Agency (NRSA) and PNNL support. The focus of the workshop was on radiological security culture which was defined as the part of nuclear security culture that applies to high-risk radiological materials. Presenters for the workshop came from the IAEA, INTERPOL, PNNL, MIIS, and Purdue University, joined by experienced self-assessment presenters from Bulgaria, Hungary, and Malaysia. The workshop was an opening effort in a longer-term CNS/MIIS effort in nuclear/radiological security culture in the region.

CRDF Global 

• On November 10, 2021 CRDF Global announced that it received $1.30M USD in funding from Global Affairs Canada  for a two-year project to deliver capacity building training initiatives to strengthen the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions and sanctions to curb North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and missile proliferation programs. Learn more.
• On November 4, 2021 CRDF Global announced that it has been awarded an $8m contract by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund to provide capacity-building support relating to the Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology Initiative in accordance with the highest standards for nuclear security, nonproliferation, and safety. Read the announcement.

The Stimson Center

• Nickolas Roth gave a presentation on Domestic Violent Extremism and the implications for nuclear security to students at American University on November 17, 2021.

Nuclear Threat Initiative

• On November 17, NTI with Third Way, Good Energy Collective and University of Michigan College of Engineers hosted a virtual roundtable on exporting advanced reactors. The purpose of the roundtable was to build a shared understanding of open questions associated with the export of advanced reactors, start a process to develop an agenda that identifies challenges and gaps in the policy framework necessary for successful deployment of advanced reactors internationally, and encourage initial steps to address issues associated with global deployment of advanced reactors. This project will continue through the first quarter of 2022, with an anticipated release of results in spring of 2022.
• On November 17, 2021, NTI leadership network, Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy  hosted a webinar, to launch the 2020 report, Tested by Crisis: Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy, focusing on the impact of the pandemic on making the nuclear policy community a more gender equitable place. Read more.
• NTI hosted a Webinar on IAEA Information Circulars as Global Tools for Nuclear Security on November 9, 2021. The hour-long event with experts explained how countries could demonstrate their commitment to nuclear security, work with like-minded states, and gain valuable experience on key issues like minimizing civilian stocks of HEU, insider threat mitigation, and strengthening nuclear security implementation more broadly. Learn more.
• NTI also highlighted the 2021 report from the National Academies of Sciences on nuclear forensics, Restoring and Improving Nuclear Forensics to Support Attribution and Deterrence. Learn more.

Project on Managing the Atom, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

• Project on Managing the Atom held a virtual information session for the 2022-2023 Managing the Atom Fellowship. Fellowships are open to pre-doc and post-doctoral scholars, and mid-career professionals. Post-doctoral scholars and junior faculty members are may also apply for Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships at the Belfer Center. The application deadline for the Managing the Atom Fellowship is December 1, 2021. All recommendation letters will be due by December 15, 2021. Decisions will be announced by February 15, 2022. Learn more.  

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

• On November, 11-12, 2021, UNODC held the first ever joint IAEA-UNODC seminar to promote the universalization of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The event, which was made possible thanks to funding from the EU and Canada, gathered some 40 participants from more than 20 Member States. Find more information.
• UNODC contributed to a Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) virtual event on November 10, 2021, focusing on the promotion of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material for Latin American countries.
• Representatives of UNODC contributed to the 21st Nuclear Security Information Exchange Meeting IEM organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on October 18-19, 2021, and provided an update on UNODC’s work in promoting adherence to, and effective implementation of, the international legal framework against nuclear terrorism.

University of Melbourne

• Trevor Findlay authored an article on the AUKUS submarine deal, “In Too Deep: The Risks Behind Australia’s Nuclear Submarine Deal”, in Public Policy Journal Pearls and Irritations, on November 14, 2021. Read the article.
• Trevor Findlay wrote an analysis for the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) on October 29, 2021, called, “That Sinking Feeling: The AUKUS Submarines and the Nonproliferation Regime.” Read the analysis.
• Trevor Findlay participated in a webinar on October 19, 2021, for AIIA, Melbourne, on the AUKUS submarine deal entitled, “The AUKUS Submarine Deal: Consequences for Global Nuclear Governance.” Learn more.

University of Texas at Austin

• Alan J. Kuperman authored an op-ed on November 11, 2021 in Kyodo News, entitled, “Bomb-grade uranium for Australian submarines?” Read the article.

Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)

• The VCDNP is accepting applications for its Nuclear Security Professional Development Course for Diplomats and Practitioners, which is to take place from 24 to 28 January 2022 at the VCDNP in Vienna, Austria. This tuition-free course aims to enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of technical as well as key political and legal issues related to nuclear security, including of key international nuclear security treaties and mechanisms, the role of international organizations and other stakeholders in nuclear security. The deadline to apply is 10 December 2021. Learn more about the course.
• The VCDNP Task Force held a Side Event on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Science and Technology on October 11, 2021. The Task Force was established in late 2020 to examine and provide recommendations for approaches that could lead to increased access to nuclear science and technologies for peaceful uses and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals, while maintaining non-proliferation and nuclear security objectives. The Task Force examined these issues during the Side Event in the context of the NPT review process and within the context of the IAEA mandate. Learn more.
• The VCDNP held a Deterrence and Emerging Technologies Webinar Series to examine the impact of new technologies on the stability of deterrence as well as the opportunities some new technologies can offer for arms control, security, and confidence building measures over the course of six webinars. Watch the webinars.
• The VCDNP held a webinar on October 15, 2021, with renowned safeguards experts Laura Rockwood (Director, Open Nuclear Network) and John Carlson (Non-Resident Senior Fellow, VCDNP) to discuss the implications of the proposed AUKUS partnership’s naval nuclear propulsion program on the application of IAEA safeguards. Learn more.
• The VCDNP invites applications for its Winter 2022 research internship program and strongly encourages applications from developing countries. The duration of the internship is up to six months, and the application deadline is December 10, 2021. The VCDNP intends to have the internship take place in person in Vienna, Austria; however, depending on the pandemic situation at the time, the internship could be remote. View the vacancy.

World Institute of Nuclear Security

• On November 11, WINS began its virtual webinar series, “Nuclear Threats in Conversation with Industry Experts.” Current WINS Academy learners, WINS Academy alumni, and WINS members with an interest in learning more about threats were equally welcome to register for the webinars. Webinar topics included: “Understanding and Dealing with Threats,” “Regulatory Perspective on Threats,” and the “Changing Face of Civil Nuclear.” Learn more.
• On November 11, WINS celebrated the accomplishments of Mr. Geoff McCabe, a WINS Member and Ambassador who received his Certified Radioactive Source Security (CRSP) designation at the end of September, adding to his Certified Nuclear Security Professional (CNSP) title. Read the article.