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Pakistan most improved nuclear-armed state in the NTI Index

Rashid Mahmood

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Pakistan’s score increased by three points compared to 2012, putting it in the top ten most improved countries and making it the most improved nuclear-armed state in the NTI Index
, although it still scores near the bottom.

Pakistan’s improvement is primarily due to an increased score for on-site physical protection resulting from new laws and regulations requiring licensees to provide physical protection to nuclear sites and on-site reviews of security.

In the future, Pakistan’s nuclear materials security conditions could be further improved by strengthening its laws and regulations for physical security of material during transport to reflect the latest IAEA nuclear security guidelines, and for mitigating the insider threat, particularly by requiring personnel to report suspicious behavior and requiring constant surveillance of areas of facilities where nuclear material is located.

It could also become party to the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Pakistan’s nuclear materials security conditions also remain adversely affected due to political instability, high levels of corruption among public officials, and the presence and capability on its territory of criminal or terrorist groups interested in illicitly acquiring nuclear materials.

RANK................22
SCORE............46
CHANGE..........+3



Source: Pakistan | Nuclear Threat Initiative
 
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Who determines how safe are your safeguards?? Is it an independent body which oversees your military installations or is this all hearsay based on govt. reports?


The 2014 Nuclear Threat Initiative Nuclear Materials Security Index is the second edition of a unique public assessment of nuclear materials security conditions around the world. Developed with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the NTI Index was created to assess the security of nuclear materials around the world and to encourage governments to take actions and provide assurances about the security of the world’s deadliest materials. It has sparked international discussions about priorities required to strengthen security.

The NTI Index draws on NTI’s nuclear expertise, the EIU’s experience in constructing indices, and the reach of the EIU’s global network of hundreds of analysts and contributors. NTI—together with an international panel of nuclear security experts and a number of technical advisors—developed the framework and priorities that define effective nuclear materials security conditions. The EIU was responsible for developing the analytic model and gathering the data.

The NTI Index assesses the contributions of 25 states with one kilogram or more of weapons-usable nuclear materials toward improved global nuclear materials security conditions. It assesses states in five categories: (a) Quantities and Sites, (b) Security and Control Measures, (c) Global Norms, (d) Domestic Commitments and Capacity, and (e) Risk Environment. An additional 151 states, with less than one kilogram of weapons-usable nuclear materials or none at all, are assessed on the final three of the categories. The NTI Index is presented in three ways:

  • This website with high-level results
  • The print report, which contains NTI observations and recommendations, a complete discussion of the EIU methodology, selected data, and country profiles
  • A downloadable version of the 2014 NTI Index, which is available through the website and shows detailed results and data and provides extended interactive features in an Excel format.
NTI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission to strengthen global security by reducing the risk of use and preventing the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Founded in 2001 by former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and CNN founder Ted Turner, NTI is guided by an international board of directors.

The EIU is the business information arm of The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist. Through a global network of hundreds of analysts and contributors, the EIU continuously assesses and forecasts political, economic, and business conditions in more than 200 countries. As the world’s leading provider of country intelligence, the EIU helps executives, governments, and institutions by providing timely, reliable, and impartial analysis.




In developing the NTI Index, the EIU and NTI convened highly respected nuclear materials security experts from around the world. This group included experts who were from nuclear- and non-nuclear-weapon states and from developed and developing nations and who have a broad range of expertise. The panel was changed and slightly expanded from the 2012 NTI Index and included experts from Argentina, Australia, China, France, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, the United States, and Vietnam, one of whom is a representative from the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) and one of whom is a former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official.

The panel advised NTI and the EIU on the selection of indicators and their relative importance. Panel members were instrumental in considering options (for example, new or modified indicators) for strengthening the NTI Index, many of which were subsequently incorporated into this edition. Input from the panel helps to ensure that the NTI Index has an international point of view and reflects the ongoing international discussion on nuclear security priorities.

Panel members do not represent their country’s interests or score individual countries. Instead, they play an advisory role in their personal, not professional, capacities. Participation in the panel does not imply endorsement of every aspect of the NTI Index or its findings and recommendations. On the contrary, panel meetings demonstrated a range of views and the need for a continuing dialogue on priorities.
 
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Pakistan ranks above India in nuclear material security list

ISLAMABAD: India has been ranked below Pakistan and China in the list of countries with weak nuclear material security in the world. This has been revealed by a US-based think-tank in its index, the 2014 Nuclear Threat Initiative’s Nuclear Materials Security.

India has been ranked 23rd out of 25 countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials. According to credible media reports, India received 41 out of 100 points, which is an improvement by one point from the 2012 score.


For comparison, China received 64 points and has been ranked at the 20th spot, while Pakistan with 46 points stands at the 22nd place.

India and these countries are included in the list of 25 countries with one kilogram or more of these materials, which also includes all other nuclear-armed states.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative claimed this improvement reflects India’s first contribution to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund. “Overall, however, India’s score remains low.” This is due to a number of factors including weak regulations that are written as guidance rather than as requirements; increasing quantities of weapons-usable nuclear materials for both civilian and military use and gaps in its regulatory structure such as lack of an independent regulatory agency.

External risk factors, such as high levels of corruption, which undermine the confidence in implementation or enforcement of security measures and also increase the risk that officials, may contribute (even unwittingly) to the theft of nuclear material are also among the factors, it added.

Both India and China improved their scores since 2012 by one point by contributing to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund, which supports the implementation of nuclear security activities, the report said.India scored higher than China on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1540 related to nuclear security issues.

China, however, scored higher in a number of areas, including the existence of an independent regulatory agency; having invited a peer review of its nuclear security arrangements; and having strong regulations for control and accounting of materials.

Pakistan received 46 out of 100 possible points compared to India’s 41, the report said, adding that both the countries improved their scores since 2012. Pakistan improved its score by publishing new regulations for the physical protection of nuclear facilities.

India scored higher than Pakistan on international legal commitments because India has adopted all the relevant treaties whereas Pakistan has not.


Pakistan, however, scored higher in a number of areas, including the existence of an independent regulatory agency; having invited peer review of its nuclear security arrangements and having security and other personnel with access to nuclear materials subjected to additional vetting.

In addition, Pakistan has an operational Centre of Excellence, whereas the foundation stone for India’s COE, the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership, was laid on January 3, 2014, it said.

In its report, the NTI said India was briefed on the index, along with other countries. “Unfortunately, India did not use the opportunity to review and confirm the data, a process through which governments can choose to provide responses to one, some, or all questions depending on their sensitivities and help ensure the accuracy of the data,” it said.


“Out of the 25 countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials, 17 (more than two-thirds) responded to the data review and confirmation request (including nuclear-weapons states such as France, the UK, and the US),” the report said.

The NTI recommended that India’s nuclear materials security conditions could be improved by strengthening its laws and regulations for mitigating the insider threat, for the control and accounting of nuclear materials, and for the physical security of materials during transport.

“India’s existing regulations could be strengthened by taking a more prescriptive approach to security measures, as most countries already do, rather than simply recommending security measures,” it said.


India’s nuclear materials security conditions could also be improved by completing the establishment of an independent nuclear regulatory agency, in fulfillment of a commitment made at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, it said.

“Because the potential for theft increases with higher quantities of materials, the NTI Index report recommends that states commit to no net increases of weapons-usable materials and to using existing materials before producing new materials. India’s continuing production of weapons-usable nuclear materials means that it is increasing, not decreasing, its stocks,” it said.

Pakistan ranks above India in nuclear material security list - thenews.com.pk
 
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In-spite of increasing your nuclear stockpile to some 200+ you guys are above India.

Congratulations! I will sleep peacefully knowing that you guys are taking Nuclear safety seriously.


Probably land mass also factors in the ranking somehow. We should be higher in ranking especially with the large number of tiers in security.
 
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Well, India can sleep safe, but Pakistan can't. It doesn't help that India is below Pakistan and China under the security protection of nuclear materials. What if nuclear materials is in wrong hand, we saw a consequence of red-genocide at the wrong leader in less than 11 years ago. The government like Modi or low-key hindu terrorist group are potentially catastrophic for Pakistan either way. Allahu Alim.

Good to see Pakistan is working hard to improve the security measures of nuclear materials. TTP is getting closer, but hopefully, far too long. Imran Khan's resolution peace with Pakistan Taliban doesn't paint any hope for Pakistan in the future depending on the next election as Imran Khan might be next in line given the recent census data figure suggest that Imran Khan is the most popular choice, Allahu Alim. TTP must be crucified before the next year in five years.
 
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