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1 Annette Schaper, Universalization of Comprehensive Safeguards - Next Steps 1 (2012)

handle is hein.unl/unisafe0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Universalization of Comprehensive Safeguards-Next Steps February 201 2 Annette Schaper Peace Research Institute Frankfurt Introduction On 28 May 2010, the NPT Review Conference was able to adopt by consensus a final document. The most important part of the document contains a list of 63 actions to which the parties have committed themselves. The next Review Conference will examine whether and to what extent these actions have been implemented. The actions cover a wide range of tasks from the three pillars of the NPT-namely nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The old problem of perceived injustice because of inherent discrimination in the NPT will be re-examined by accounting for the implementation of the three sets of actions. It is therefore important to achieve successes in all three pillars. This paper deals mainly with Action 29 which appears under the headline of non-proliferation: Action 29: The Conference encourages IAEA to further facilitate and assist the States parties in the conclusion and entry into force of comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols. The Conference calls on States parties to consider specific measures that would promote the universalization of the comprehensive safeguards agreements. Although assigned to the non-proliferation set, universalization of comprehensive safeguards would also strengthen the nuclear disarmament component. Universal safeguards and steps that facilitate their implementation have many advantages and only one disadvantage, namely higher costs and more funding for the IAEA. But these costs are marginal in comparison to what some states spend for their security. In the following, I want to discuss the advantages of universal safeguards, the commitments that have been made so far, and the steps that are necessary to achieve this goal. Benefits of Universal Comprehensive Safeguards Delegates from nuclear-weapon states claim that it would be a waste of effort to invest in comprehensive safeguards in nuclear-weapon states, who are allowed to use fissile material for any purpose, including nuclear weapons. But the universalization of comprehensive safeguards would have several benefits.