Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a leading US non-proliferation watchdog, has ranked Pakistan as the most improved in security from those countries holding nuclear materials, improving its overall score by seven points since its 2019 annual report.
Laura E Kennedy, a retired United States career diplomat, also commended Pakistan’s improvement in security ranking.
One welcome bit of news reported by #NTIindex is that #Pakistan ranked as most improved in security of those countries holding nuclear materials.
— Laura Kennedy (@AmbKennedy_ret) July 22, 2020
One welcome bit of news reported by #NTIindex is that #Pakistan ranked as most improved in security of those countries holding nuclear materials.
— Laura Kennedy (@AmbKennedy_ret) July 22, 2020
NTI Nuclear Security Index is a first-of-its-kind public benchmarking project of nuclear security conditions on a country-by-country basis in 176 countries. Initially launched in 2012, the NTI Index, prepared with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), has sparked international discussions about priorities required to strengthen security and most importantly, encourages governments to provide assurances and take actions to reduce risks.
The NTI Index ranks countries with one kilogram or more of weapons-usable nuclear materials across a broad framework capturing policies, actions, and other conditions that shape their nuclear security. Additional countries with less than one kilogram of weapons-usable nuclear materials or none at all are assessed across a subset of the framework. This “Theft Ranking” has been included in every edition of the NTI Index.
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Pakistan progresses on nuclear security front
Pakistan was the most improved country in the theft ranking for countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials, improving its overall score by 7 points.
The majority of Pakistan’s improvements are in the Security and Control Measures category (+25) because of its passage of new regulations. Pakistan also improved in the Global Norms category (+1).
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Pakistan’s improvements in the Security and Control Measures category are significant because strengthened laws and regulations result in durable boosts in Pakistan’s score as well as provide sustainable security benefits.
Pakistan has steadily improved in the Nuclear Security and Control Measures category over time with the passage of new regulations, improving by +8 in 2014, +2 in 2016, and +6 in 2018. Its score in 2014 improved owing to new regulations for on-site physical protection. In 2016, it passed new cybersecurity regulations. In 2018, it improved its insider threat protection. Its newest regulations mark a much larger shift. Compared with other countries’ score improvements in the Security and Control Measures category, Pakistan’s increase of +25 is the second-largest improvement of any country since the Index first launched in 2012.
Visit the #NTIIndex website to find out what steps Pakistan has taken: https://t.co/guN9SA5dF1
— NTI (@NTI_WMD) July 22, 2020
“Pakistan’s improvements in the Security and Control Measures category are significant because strengthened laws and regulations result in durable boosts in Pakistan’s score as well as provide sustainable security benefits,” the watchdog said in its annual report.
The National Threat Initiative nuclear security index
In 2016, the NTI Index added a third set of countries in a new “Sabotage Ranking.” An act of sabotage against a nuclear facility could lead to a dangerous radiation release. This assessment reviews the protection of nuclear facilities against sabotage in 44 countries and Taiwan.
The project draws on NTI’s nuclear expertise and the EIU’s experience in constructing indices, and the reach of the EIU’s global network analysts and contributors. NTI—working with an international panel of nuclear security experts and a number of technical advisors—focused on the framework and priorities that define effective nuclear materials security conditions. The EIU was responsible for developing the Excel-based model and gathering the data.
NTI recommends that countries supportive of nuclear security should work to build a stronger, more inclusive narrative about the importance of nuclear security, to achieve broader participation in global efforts to strengthen nuclear security and increased support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s nuclear security role.
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The regional divides exposed in the NTI Index results provide further evidence that work is needed to develop a broader, more inclusive narrative for nuclear security that respects different national and regional perspectives and priorities and moves away from a zero-sum approach that pits nuclear security and peaceful use assistance against each other.
A more compelling narrative would remind countries of the link between nuclear security and public support for the peaceful use of nuclear technology. This, in turn, is linked to countries’ ability to meet its sustainable development goals.
Pakistan improved 7 points in NTI nuclear security index. Pakistan beats india with 6 pointshttps://t.co/QZAaSMiJb4 pic.twitter.com/NiulxLgVTu
— Muhammad Akhtar (@akhtar_munir111) July 23, 2020
Tying the importance of nuclear security to a more diverse set of national and regional priorities can provide a better understanding how nuclear security and access to the peaceful use of nuclear technology for nuclear energy, science, and research go hand in hand.
GVS News Desk with additional input from other sources