Qatar Affirms that Nuclear Security is Inseparable Part of International Security
Vienna / Information Office / March 29
The State of Qatar affirmed that the major international crisis we are experiencing today shows that nuclear security is an integral part of international security.
This came in the statement of the State of Qatar delivered by Charge d'Affaires of the State of Qatar's mission to international organizations in Vienna Abdullah bin Nasser Al Fehaid during the opening of the Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (A/CPPNM), which was held in Vienna.
The statement indicated that the international community has recognized that progress in nuclear disarmament efforts is a basic guarantee that enhances nuclear security, noting that adherence to the purposes of the United Nations, especially respect for the sovereignty of states and the resolution of international disputes through adherence to multilateral diplomacy, dialogue and peaceful means, avoids humanity the destructive dangers of nuclear weapons.
He stressed that states are fully responsible of nuclear security in them, stressing the pivotal role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in assisting member states to establish and improve effective and sustainable national nuclear security systems and to provide advisory services, capacity building and training to ensure the preservation of the security of nuclear and radioactive materials and to ensure the security of facilities of states associated to them.
The State of Qatar also commended the Agency's efforts to ward off the increasing threats to computer security and cyber-attacks on facilities related to nuclear fields and related activities, stressing the importance of promoting efforts to spread a culture of nuclear security among workers and public opinion, and supporting the Agency's efforts to urge all member states to join the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its amendments, especially states in the Middle East.
The statement of the State of Qatar said that Qatar considers the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, especially in the fields of health, agriculture, industry and the environment is a strategic bet, noting that it has adopted appropriate legislations to enhance the safety and security of radioactive materials, and ratified the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, and issued the national system of accounting for and control of nuclear material, which entered into force on 12/4/2018. This law is concerned with limiting nuclear facilities and materials and criminalizing acts that contravene Qatar's obligations in the nuclear field, specifically with regard to the Safeguards and Physical Protection of Nuclear Material Agreements and their amendments.
He added that the State of Qatar continues its efforts to establish an infrastructure and an adequate national capacity to ensure the security of facilities and materials, and is cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen its legislation and regulations in the field of nuclear security and safety and to train specialists.