Video Address
by Prime Minister Rutte on the Importance of the Nuclear Security Summit
Next week, the 2014 Nuclear
Security Summit will be held here in The Hague. It’s the biggest international
summit the Netherlands has ever hosted. And its goal is simple: to prevent
nuclear terrorism. 58 countries and international organisations have joined
forces in the NSS process to prevent nuclear and radioactive material from
falling into the hands of terrorists. So the Summit is not about the nuclear
weapons that countries have. It is about dangerous nuclear and radioactive
material which often has very useful applications. We use it for x-rays and
treating patients, for example. And to generate energy to light our homes.
Fortunately, the chance of
terrorists getting hold of this material and creating a nuclear or dirty bomb
is small. But if it were to happen the consequences for the world would be
devastating. So reaching effective agreements on this issue is vital. Our aims
for the Summit are:
·to reduce the amount of
dangerous nuclear material in the world; ·to improve the security of
existing material; and ·to step up international
cooperation in this area.
The summit in The Hague is the
third NSS. In 2010 the first event was held in Washington DC at the initiative
of President Obama. Two years later, in Seoul, world leaders convened again to
discuss progress and define our ambitions further. A lot has been achieved
since 2010. In the past five years the amount of nuclear material in the world
has fallen sharply. The number of countries with more than one kilogram of
weapons-usable nuclear material has fallen from 37 in 2009 to 25 today. What’s
more, nuclear security has improved in many countries. Strict entry controls
have been introduced at nuclear facilities. The industry is now more active in
promoting a culture of security. And staff training has also improved.
Government authorities, inspectors and the industry must work together to
ensure that these measures are effective in practice.
Steps have also been taken to
reach a binding international agreement on security during transport, storage
and production of nuclear material. The Convention still needs to be ratified
by a number of countries before it can enter into force. Under the agreement,
countries have to have suitable legislation and an independent supervisory
mechanism. And nuclear facilities have to install effective physical security
measures.
The NSS process has accelerated
progress. The Convention will enter into force when two-thirds of the participating
states have ratified the text. At this point, the target is 99 countries. In
our preparations for the Nuclear Security Summit, the Netherlands has tried to
stimulate the ratification process. And in my role as chair, I will continue to
press for progress during the Summit. I am hopeful that the treaty will enter
into force this year.
The NSS process has led to more
international cooperation. Countries are learning from each other and sharing
knowledge. Take nuclear forensics. A field in which my country is a world
leader, thanks to the Netherlands Forensic Institute. The NFI has developed an
online knowledge platform where nuclear scientists and forensic experts from
all over the world can quickly and easily share specific knowledge and experience.
At the request of Interpol and the IAEA, the Institute also runs training
courses for law enforcement agencies on how forensic investigation could help
in the event of a nuclear or radiological incident. These courses have been
attended by hundreds of people from the police, justice system or customs
authorities of such countries as China, Poland, Chile and Moldova.
In short, these summits deliver
tangible results. The direct involvement of world leaders has made it possible
to achieve results that otherwise would be beyond our reach. As chair of the
Summit, I want to speed things along. My country is part of a group, including
South Korea and the United States, which is encouraging countries to adopt all
the IAEA’s guidelines in their national legislation. These guidelines require
that countries have effective security systems and properly certified
personnel. The Netherlands is also encouraging countries to ask the IAEA to
perform inspections and make recommendations on their level of nuclear
security. The Netherlands underwent this process at an early stage, and that
helped us achieve a ranking of seventh in the Nuclear Materials Security Index.
But I also want to highlight the
future of the NSS process. Preventing nuclear terrorism remains a global challenge.
At the Summit I will be holding an informal meeting with the heads of state and
government to discuss this question. In the Netherlands’ view, the NSS in 2016
should be the final summit held at this level. Major summits like this one in
The Hague are an excellent way of getting an issue on the agenda and driving
progress. But over time all mechanisms run out of steam. The Netherlands
believes that the aims of the NSS process after 2016 can best be served using
the existing structures and organisations.
It’s no accident that we are joining together in The Hague for this global summit. It is in keeping with a long Dutch tradition: fulfilling our international responsibility. And it is in keeping with the city of The Hague itself. The city that hosted the international Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907. The seat of the Peace Palace, the Yugoslavia Tribunal, the International Criminal Court and many other international organisations. The Hague is known around the world as the city of peace, security and justice. In hosting the NSS we are actively helping to prevent nuclear terrorism and so to build a safer world. I look forward to a highly successful Summit. |
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