Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to lead UAE nuclear delegation at The Hague

ABU DHABI // The threat from nuclear terrorism, improving cybersecurity and boosting global cooperation are set to dominate the Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague this week.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, will lead the UAE's delegation at the summit.

At least 53 heads of state and government, and four international organisations are due to attend, including the US president, Barack Obama.

He will also to meet Sheikh Mohammed to discuss US efforts in Syria, nuclear negotiations with Iran and the prospects for the Middle East peace talks.

High on the agenda at the summit are ways to prevent nuclear technology, material and information from being misused, particularly securing sites that use radiological equipment, such as hospitals and universities.

“Nuclear terrorism is one of the highest threats internationally,” said Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi, the UAE’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“The risk involves use of nuclear material by terrorist organisations and non-state actors for malicious acts. This includes fiscal security, facilities and material, cybersecurity and commercial security.

“This is where the momentum for nuclear security gets high-level attention,” said Mr Alkaabi, who will also be attending the two-day summit, which starts on Monday.

“In 2010 in Washington, the major commitment of the state was that, in four years, they would commit to secure all nuclear material,” he said.

“This means any material, used peacefully or not, should be secured from terrorist acts. Measures need to be introduced to minimise the risk of misusing such material by reducing the amount of highly enriched uranium.”

Although the UAE does not have highly enriched uranium, it has already introduced legislation and stronger review procedures from the IAEA.

“We signed an integrated security support plan by the IAEA, which ensures nuclear security infrastructure in the UAE is consistent with the IAEA guidance, but also with best international practices,” said Mr Alkaabi. “We also have a strong export-control regime today, and we moved very well in adapting all international instruments to ensure security.”

Gerard Michels, the Dutch ambassador to the UAE, said that if a terrorist attack using nuclear material were to happen, the consequences for the whole world would be “very serious”.

“Governments, companies, scientists and organisations from many different countries are therefore working together to reduce the quantity of nuclear material, improve the security of existing nuclear material, and make better international agreements,” he said.

“Nuclear material has an important function – it is used to cure the sick and light our homes. The summit is needed to ensure that global cooperation is effective and thereby prevent nuclear terrorism.”

Cyber security is also one of the key areas that will be examined during the summit.

"It's becoming an important aspect of nuclear security and the risk of not having an adequate information-security system in place could jeopardise nuclear security," Mr Alkaabi said.

“Cyber security is a threat that governments and the industry are taking seriously, and the assessment of such threats requires additional measures to be put in place.

“The UAE is taking the lead in counter-nuclear terrorism and cyber terrorism in general, preventing attacks, recovery from attacks and responses. There’s a good effort internally, in coordination with our international partners, but also keeping up to date with these risk assessments is very important.”

Mr Michels said the issues to be discussed included radiological sources.

“They are used in a variety of settings, including hospitals and universities, where they are not easy to protect,” he said. “If we want, for example, to minimise the inconvenience to patients caused by security measures, what is the best way to protect these sources?”

Andrey Karasev, the director of international nuclear safety and security at JSC Rusatom Overseas, a subsidiary of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, said he was focusing on two main issues.

First, enforcing the amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

Second, the universalisation of the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism as a basis for international law.

“The participating states will reaffirm their commitments to the strengthening of nuclear security and formulate political intentions on relevant activities,” he said.

“Nuclear terrorism is one of the most challenging threats to international security and strong nuclear security measures are the most effective means to prevent terrorists and criminals from acquiring nuclear materials.”

The Nuclear Security Summit will conclude on Tuesday with a collective declaration of intent signed by the participants.

cmalek@thenational.ae