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Pillar 2

Action 42

The Conference calls on all States parties to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material to ratify the amendment to the Convention as soon as possible and encourages them to act in accordance with the objectives and the purpose of the amendment until such time as it enters into force. The Conference also encourages all States that have not yet done so to adhere to the Convention and adopt the amendment as soon as possible.

China

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

China acceded to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material in January 1989 and accepted/ratified the 2005 Amendment in 2009. Before the Amendment entered into force in 2016, China had already acted in line with its object and purpose by developing domestic physical-protection measures for nuclear material and nuclear facilities. China participated in the negotiation of the Amendment and supported strengthening the effective protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities used for peaceful purposes. China has also stated that its national system applies graded protection of nuclear material and zoning of nuclear facilities, with reference to Annex II of the CPPNM Amendment and INFCIRC/225 requirements.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

China continued to support the effective implementation and universalization of the CPPNM Amendment. At the 2022 Conference of the Parties to the Amendment, China stated that its national measures for establishing and maintaining a system for the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear facilities strictly fulfilled the relevant provisions of the Amendment, and called on more countries to consider ratifying the Amendment and establishing corresponding national systems and measures. China also continued to strengthen nuclear security domestically, including through physical-protection upgrades, nuclear-security regulations and standards, nuclear-security culture, the Nuclear Security Center of Excellence, and capabilities for nuclear-material control, transport security and cybersecurity.

Sources

Statement by Minister Counsellor Li Sen at the Conference of the Parties to the A/CPPNM under Agenda Item 12.i. Provisions on Physical Protection, Mar 2022

Implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the People’s Republic of China, NPT/CONF.2026/33, 17 April 2026

IAEA Completes Nuclear Security Advisory Mission in China, Sep 8 2017

Statement delivered by Ambassador Wang Qun under item of the National Statement at the Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the CNNPP, Mar 29 2022

France

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

France has ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material on 1 February 2013.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

As an EU member, France has called for the universalisation of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

Sources

National Report submitted by France. Report submitted by France under actions 5, 20 and 21 of the Final Document of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (2022–2026). NPT/CONF.2026/PC.III/2. 7 March 2025, https://docs.un.org/en/NPT/CONF.2026/PC.III/2

EU Statement on Agenda item 4: Nuclear Security Board of Governors International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Vienna, 8-12 September 2025, https://www.government.is/library/09-Embassies/Vienna/Agenda%20Item%204%20-%20EU%20statement%20on%20Nuclear%20Security%20Report.pdf

Russia

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

Russia ratified the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material in 2008. Russia welcomed the fact that the amended Convention came into force in May 2016 and further expressed support for its universalization

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

Russia has not communicated on further implementation of this action in the current review cycle.

Sources

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ‘Concerning the Entry into Force of the Federal Law on Acceptance of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material’, 19 August 2008

https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/international_safety/disarmament/1598523/?lang=en

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ‘Comment by the Information and Press Department on the entry into force of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material’. 12 April 2016

https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/international_safety/1526345/

Statement by Russia. Main Committee III. Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 8 August 2022

https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1825666/?lang=en

United Kingdom

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

The UK ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (ACPPNM) in 2010. The UK committed to implementing and universalising nuclear security conventions, including the ACPPNM, sharing best practice and expertise with international partners, and supporting global nuclear security assistance.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

The UK has called on all states that have not yet done so to ratify the ACPPNM and to implement its provisions fully, as part of its broader approach to strengthening the international nuclear security framework.

Sources

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (2022). National report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pursuant to actions 5, 20 and 21 of the action plan of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons for the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty (London), 5 November. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/treaty-on-the-non-proliferation-of-nuclear-weapons-uk-national-report-for-the-10th-review-conference/uk-national-report-pursuant-to-actions-5-20-and-21-of-the-treaty-on-the-npt-review-conference-2010-for-the-10th-npt-review-conference

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (2026). National report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pursuant to actions 5, 20 and 21 of the action plan of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons for the eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty. <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69df600a53469bbcdf408e8b/UK-National-Report-11th-Treaty-on-the-Non-Proliferation-of-Nuclear-Weapons-NPT-Review-Conference.pdf>

United States

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What has the NWS done so far (prior to the current Review Cycle 2022–2026)?

The United States signed the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material on March 3, 1980, and was ratified on December 13, 1982. The 2005 Amendment was ratified by the United States on July 31, 2015.

Under the auspices of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment (A/CPPNM), the United States undertook several actions prior to the current Review Cycle, including:

      • Completing inspections under the U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Cyber Security Programs to verify that facilities had fully implemented their cyber security requirements.
      • Removing excess plutonium from the IAEA’s Nuclear Material Laboratory as part of its broader, decades-long campaign to permanently dispose of excess civilian highly enriched uranium and plutonium around the world.
      • Contributing nearly $245 million to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund (NSF) since its inception, to include over $22.5 million in 2021.

What is the NWS doing on this action in the current Review Cycle 2022–2026?

In 2022, at the first Review Conference for the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment (A/CPPNM), the United States delegation delivered a statement in support of full implementation and universality of the A/CPPNM.

As part of that statement, the United States requested that the IAEA host the United States’ second International Physical Protection Advisory Service mission, and encouraged all other state Parties to take advantage of the program. It also announced that each of its nuclear power plants would be inspected every two years to ensure compliance with updated cyber security requirements.

Sources

U.S. Department of State. “Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.” Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. March 3, 1980. https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/isn/5079.htm.

U.S. Department of State. “Multilateral (16-508) – Agreement Amending the Convention of October 26, 1979 on the Protection of Nuclear Material.” Office of Treaty Affairs. May 8, 2016. https://www.state.gov/16-508/.

U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna. “A/CPPNM Review Conference: U.S. National Statement.” March 28, 2022. https://vienna.usmission.gov/a-cppnm-review-conference-u-s-national-statement/.