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.

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
A Japanese crime boss conspired to traffic uranium and plutonium, ISIS probe results in arrest at Akkuyu, and short staffing continues to trouble ZNPP
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham
Commentary
Staffing shortages at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant raises safety and security concerns, underscoring the continuing threats of Russian occupation
Annie Trentham • Christina McAllister
Resource
In the headlines: malfunctions at Japanese nuclear power plants after Jan 1 earthquake and continued conflict at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham
Resource
In the headlines: power outages at Zaporizhzhia and IAEA missions to Chile, Cambodia, and Latin America and the Caribbean
Annie Trentham • Christina McAllister
Resource
In the headlines: continued military action and facility concerns at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, IAEA security developments, and an intrusion at a South Carolina nuclear facility
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham
Resource
Highlighting civil society activities to strengthen nuclear security
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham...
Resource
In this month’s newsletter: new nuclear security technological advancements, threats at the Ukrainian Khmelnitsky power plant, and new Bangladeshi nuclear power
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham
Issue Brief
Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has serious implications for nuclear security: urgent action is needed to mitigate risk
Valeriia Hesse
Resource
In the headlines: the IAEA convenes its 67th general conference, Norway begins to eliminate all HEU, and more
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham
Resource
New IAEA publications, potential changes in the U.S. nuclear mission, and INSF’s Türkiye nuclear security update featured in this month’s newsletter
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham
Issue Brief
Türkiye’s emerging nuclear security infrastructure works to overcome unique challenges as a nuclear newcomer
Ali Alkış
Resource
In this month’s headlines: reports of explosives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a ‘disturbing’ decline in global nuclear security, and reconsidering Oppenheimer’s legacy
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham
Resource
In the headlines: cooling systems at risk at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the nuclear security field addresses emerging technologies, and the U.S. gets a new reactor
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham
Issue Brief
Artificial intelligence and systems need sufficient safeguards in place to avoid exacerbating biases in the nuclear security field
Anna Pluff • Sneha Nair
Policy Memo
Recommendations to address emerging issues in cyber-incident response management and communications for nuclear facilities, including public misinformation and the potential sabotage of emergency response efforts
Debra Decker
Resource
In the headlines: AI and other emerging technologies, lapses in security measures, and IAEA concerns in Ukraine this May
Christina McAllister • Sneha Nair • Annie Trentham

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

Miles Pomper, Chair Emeritus

Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies

Board Members

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

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

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

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

Kenneth Myers, Board Member, President, CRDF Global

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

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

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

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

Irma Arguello, Board Member, Founder and Chair, NPSGlobal Foundation

Tomás Bieda, Board Member, Deputy Director of the Nuclear Energy Division, Argentina Global Foundation

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

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

Rhonda Evans, Board Member, Head of Engagement and Sustainability, World Institute for Nuclear Security

Member Organizations

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

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