International Nuclear Security Forum

A network of civil society organizations dedicated to reducing nuclear terrorism risks

In Nonproliferation Research

We are at a critical crossroads for preventing nuclear terrorism. After years of progress strengthening nuclear security, momentum is slowing. Ensuring strong security at nuclear facilities is a global challenge, requiring leadership and cooperation from policymakers, international institutions, operators, and civil society.

Project Team

To meet this challenge, the International Nuclear Security Forum provides a space for a diverse group of international experts to identify, create, and support strategies for reducing nuclear terrorism risks.

By working with the nuclear security community to build stronger bridges between international experts, the INSF will provide timely information to members, and focus on strengthening stakeholder knowledge and capacity. 

An act of nuclear terrorism anywhere in the world would be a global humanitarian, economic, and political catastrophe and would undermine the role of nuclear technology for energy, medical, industrial, and other purposes. The most effective strategy for preventing nuclear terrorism is to ensure strong and sustainable security for all nuclear and radiological materials and nuclear facilities, whether associated with energy, research, weapons, or any other purpose. To support this goal the International Nuclear Security Forum seeks to build stronger bridges among international nuclear security experts, provide timely information to members, and focus on strengthening stakeholder knowledge and capacity. In doing so, International Nuclear Security Forum members,

Recognize the successes of previous multilateral, national, and civil society initiatives to strengthen nuclear security;

Affirm that despite these successes, progress on nuclear security has slowed, and therefore strengthening nuclear security must remain an important international priority for global security, and that progress toward that end can be facilitated by international and interdisciplinary cooperation;

Determine to serve as a hub for strengthening expertise and sharing experience for Forum members;

Welcome diversity in perspective, experience, and thought to address increasingly interconnected global nuclear terrorist and other threats, and identifying opportunities for strengthening security; and

Support strengthening the global nuclear security architecture, sharing non-sensitive nuclear security information to build global confidence, implementing measurable nuclear security best practices and standards, and creating sustainable multilateral mechanisms that support continuous nuclear security progress.

Recognizing the urgency and necessity of sustaining and growing the nuclear security community, the International Nuclear Security Forum supports efforts that will:

  1. Elevate expert and political attention to the challenges of preventing nuclear and radiological terrorism, and the contributions of nuclear security to the sustainability of peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
  2. Foster innovative and creative approaches to problem solving and analysis to reinvigorate international attention and support for stronger nuclear security.
  3. Enhance equity and inclusion in the community by actively incorporating diversity of perspectives in order to improve the quality and credibility of our nuclear security policy initiatives.
  4. Cultivate the next generation nuclear security community through active educational outreach and mentorship.
  5. Encourage leadership by engaging policymakers, international institutions, operators, and civil society in constructive dialogue on nuclear security-related threats and opportunities to address the danger.

 As members of the International Nuclear Security Forum, we endorse the preceding principles and values that will help to foster a “whole-of-community” approach to strengthening nuclear security world-wide.

International Nuclear Security Forum, Advisory Board

Research & Writing

Resource
Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant at Risk in Continued Iran Conflict, Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant Loses Main Power Line Connection Again, Drones Swarm US Air Force Base
Christina McAllister • Alexander Farley
Resource
U.S. and Israel strike Iran, Nuclear information security issues in Korea, Niger uranium dispute
Christina McAllister • Alexander Farley
Resource
US investments grow in advanced nuclear technology, Japan pauses restart of world’s largest nuclear power plant, and Pentagon policy gaps left some US military bases vulnerable to drones
Christina McAllister • Alexander Farley
Resource
Technology advances in nuclear forensics and transportation of fuel, Zaporizhzhya experiences its 12th loss of off-site power, and analysts examine the new geopolitics of proliferation risk
Christina McAllister • Alexander Farley
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Sensitive negotiations continue surrounding Zaporizhzhya while Iran refuses inspections and new reactor technology expands in scope
Christina McAllister • Alexander Farley
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Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant reconnects to Ukraine’s grid, Indonesia addresses Cesium-137 contamination, US Army announces plan for nuclear microreactors on bases and other updates in nuclear news
Christina McAllister • Alexander Farley

Events

Achievements

The International Nuclear Security Forum builds upon the incredible work of the Fissile Material Working Group (FMWG), which was the preeminent civil society coalition supporting policies to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism. Central to its successes was the FMWG’s engagement with a broad array of international stakeholders.

Nuclear Summits & Symposia

The FMWG organized the convening of a summit of international experts and events in support of the official 2010 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS). Additionally, the FMWG provided assistance to South Korean planners organizing the 2012 Nuclear Security Symposium experts event and to Dutch planners organizing the 2014 Nuclear Knowledge Summit. The FMWG also organized the fourth civil society summit, Solutions for a Secure Nuclear Future, to support the 2016 NSS.

Working Groups

The creation of three Policy Development Working Groups by the FMWG led to recommendations on: (1) the elimination of civilian highly-enriched uranium (HEU), (2) addressing military nuclear materials, and (3) information-sharing, standards and best practices, and security culture. The FMWG published a joint recommendations report that summarized the key policy proposals from all three groups: The Results We Need: Policy Recommendations for the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit.

Policy Recommendations

The FMWG published its consensus recommendations for the Obama administration on improving nuclear material security (September 2009), updated recommendations to world leaders before the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit (January 2012), and a new list of 8 recommendations (October 2013) that includes a plutonium policy recommendation agreed to in March 2013.

Advisory Board

Leadership

Christina McAllister

Program Director, Stimson Center

Board Members

Alex Barrow, Board Member, Lead for Government & International Stakeholder Relations, Nuclear Transport Solutions

Ali Alkiş, Board Member, Research Affiliate and Gender Champion, Odesa Center for Nonproliferation

Dr. Allison M. Macfarlane, Board Member, Professor and Director of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs within the Faculty of Arts, University of British Columbia

Andrew Semmel, Board Member, Chairman, Board of Directors, Partnership for a Secure America

Professor Christopher Hobbs, Board Member, Co-Director Centre for Science and Security Studies, Department of War Studies, King’s College London

Hubert Foy, Board MemberFounding Director and Senior Research Scientist, African Centre for Science and International Security

John Erath, Board MemberSenior Policy Director, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Julián Gadano, Board Member, Director of Nuclear Affairs, Fundación Argentina Global

Margarita Kalinina-Pohl, Board MemberFounder, Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network

Dr. Matthew Bunn, Board Member, Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom, Harvard University

Nataliia Klos, Board Member, Senior Project Manager, World Institute for Nuclear Security

Paul Walker, Board Member, Director, Security & Sustainability, Green Cross International

Ruhee Neog, Board Member, Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

Sarah Case Lackner, Board Member, Senior Fellow, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

Scott Roecker, Board Member, Deputy Vice President, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

Member Organizations

Contact

Membership Interest

If you would like to be considered for INSF membership, please apply here.

Support & Other Inquiries

Media