Securing Nuclear Materials: The 2010 Summit and Issues for Congress
"In an April 2009 speech in Prague, President Obama pledged that his Administration would
launch “a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world
within four years.” To motivate world leaders to achieve this goal, the President hosted a
Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, on April 12-13, 2010. Leaders of 47 countries
attended the summit, including many heads of state. Attendees represent a wide geographic
range of states and nuclear capabilities, and include China, India, Israel, and Pakistan.
The summit resulted in a joint statement saying that international cooperative action is
necessary to prevent an act of nuclear terrorism. Summit attendees also pledged to improve
nuclear security standards, bring international agreements into force, and share best
practices.

Nuclear security measures refer to a wide range of actions to prevent theft or diversion of nuclear material or sabotage at an installation or in transit. They could include physical protection measures, material control and accounting, personnel reliability screening, and training. A broader understanding of nuclear security also includes measures to prevent and
detect illicit trafficking cargo inspections, border security, and interdiction measures.

The U.S. government has worked for more than a decade both domestically and in partnership
with other countries to address this problem through multiple programs at the Departments of
Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and State. The International Atomic Energy Agency has
also played a lead role in these efforts, particularly since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.