PM warns of dangers of 'non-state actors' acquiring nuclear explosives

With Pakistan obviously on his mind, prime minister Manmohan Singh today warned of the dangers posed by nuclear explosives falling into the hands of non-state actors posing danger to India and other countries.

Addressing the Nuclear Security Summit Washington, he pitched for "zero tolerance" against individuals and groups which engage in illegal trafficking of atomic explosives and announced India's decision to set up a 'Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership'.

"Nuclear security is one of the foremost challenges we face today," Singh told the conference of 47 countries which discussed ways to ensure that nuclear material and technology do not fall into the hands of terrorists.

Commending US president Barack Obama for his initiative in convening the summit, he said India would like the summit
to lead to concrete outcomes which help make our world a safer place.

"The danger of nuclear explosives or fissile material and technical know-how falling in to the hands of non-state actors continues to haunt our world," Singh said, adding India is deeply concerned about the danger it faces, as do other states, from this threat.

He regretted that the global non-proliferation regime has failed to prevent nuclear proliferation as clandestine proliferation networks have flourished and led to insecurity for all, including and especially for India.

"We must learn from past mistakes and institute effective measures to prevent their recurrence," Singh said.

He underlined that the world community should join hands to eliminate the risk of sensitive and valuable materials and technologies falling into hands of terrorists and illicit traffickers.

"There should be zero tolerance for individuals and groups which engage in illegal trafficking in nuclear items," he emphasised.

Singh said the primary responsibility for ensuring nuclear security rests at the national level. "But national responsibility must be accompanied by responsible behaviour by states. If not, it remains an empty slogan," he said, adding "all states should scrupulously abide by their international obligations."

He said that the dangers of nuclear terrorism make the early elimination of atomic weapons "a matter of even greater urgency".

Global non-proliferation, to be successful, should be universal, comprehensive and non-discriminatory and linked to the goal of complete nuclear disarmament.

"We welcome the fact that the world is veering around to our view that the best guarantor of nuclear security is a world free from nuclear weapons," Singh said.

He welcomed the recent agreement between the United States and Russia to cut their nuclear arsenals as "a step in the right direction" and asked "all states with substantial nuclear arsenals to further accelerate this process by making deeper cuts that will lead to meaningful disarmament."

The prime minister said India was encouraged by the Nuclear Posture Review announced by president Obama.

Supporting the universalisation of the policy of 'No-first use', he said the salience of nuclear weapons in national defence and security doctrines must be reduced as a matter of priority.

Singh said India has been in the forefront of the call for global and complete nuclear disarmament, starting with Jawaharlal Nehru over five decades ago.

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had put forward a concrete Action Plan in 1988 for the universal and non-discriminatory elimination of nuclear weapons leading to global nuclear disarmament in a time-bound framework, he said, adding "I once again reiterate India's call to the world community to work towards the realisation of this vision."

In 2006, India proposed the negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention. India has also expressed readiness to participate in the negotiation of an internationally verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament.

Since 2002, India has piloted a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly on measures to deny terrorists access to Weapons of Mass Destruction. "We fully support the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution
1540 and the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy," Singh said.

The Indian Atomic Energy Act provides the legal framework for securing nuclear materials and facilities, and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board ensures independent oversight of nuclear safety and security. India is also a party to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 amendment.

"The nuclear industry's safety record over the last few years has been encouraging. It has helped to restore public faith in nuclear power," Singh said, adding "safety alone, however, is not enough."

He said India would continue to work with the IAEA and partners in the United Nations as well as other forums such as the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism to upgrade standards, share experiences and ensure effective implementation of international benchmarks on nuclear security. "India has maintained an impeccable non-proliferation record, of which we are proud of," Singh said, adding that India, as a responsible nuclear power, has not been and will not be the source of proliferation of sensitive technologies.

He said India has a well-established and effective export control system which has worked without fail for over six decades.

"We have strengthened this system by harmonisation of our guidelines and lists with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime," he said.

Singh said India's commitment not to transfer nuclear weapons or related materials and technologies to non-nuclear weapon states or non-state actors is enshrined in domestic law through the enactment of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act.

"We stand committed not to transfer reprocessing and enrichment technologies and equipment to countries that do not possess them," the prime minister said.


He said India has ambitious plans for using nuclear energy to meet its growing energy needs, with the target being to increase installed capacity more than seven-fold to 35,000 MWe by the year 2022, and to 60,000 MWe by 2032.

India's three-stage nuclear power programme, which began 60 years ago, is based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle, a direct benefit of this being to ensure control over nuclear material that is generated as spent fuel.

At the same time, India is continually upgrading technology to develop nuclear systems that are intrinsically safe, secure and proliferation resistant.

India has recently developed an Advanced Heavy Water Reactor based on Low Enriched Uranium and thorium with new safety and proliferation-resistant features.

As a founder member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, India has consistently supported the central role of the IAEA in facilitating national efforts to strengthen nuclear security and in fostering effective international cooperation.

India has so far conducted nine Regional Training Courses on Nuclear Security in cooperation with the IAEA. "We have entered into a Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA in 2008, and have decided to place all future civilian thermal power reactors and civilian breeder reactors under IAEA safeguards," Singh said.