Work Plan of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit
This Work Plan supports the Communiqué of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit. It
constitutes a political commitment by the Participating States to carry out, on a voluntary basis,
applicable portions of this Work Plan, consistent with respective national laws and international
obligations, in all aspects of the storage, use, transportation and disposal of nuclear materials and
in preventing non-state actors from obtaining the information required to use such material for
malicious purposes.
Recognizing the importance of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of
Nuclear Terrorism as an important legally binding multilateral instrument addressing threats
posed by acts of nuclear terrorism:
1. Participating States Parties to the Convention will work together to achieve universality
of the Convention, as soon as possible;
2. Participating States Parties to the Convention will assist States, as appropriate and upon
their request, to implement the Convention; and
3. Participating States Parties to the Convention encourage discussions among States Parties
to consider measures to ensure its effective implementation, as called for in Article 20 of
the Convention.
Recognizing the importance of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, as
the only multilateral legally binding agreement dealing with the physical protection of nuclear
material in peaceful uses, and the value of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention in
strengthening global security:
1. Participating States Parties to the Convention will work towards its universal adherence
and where applicable, to accelerate the ratification processes of the Amendment to the
Convention and to act for early implementation of that Amendment;
2. Participating States Parties to the Convention call on all States to act in accordance with
the object and purpose of the Amendment until such time as it enters into force; and

3. Participating States Parties to the Convention will assist States, as appropriate and upon
their request, to implement the Convention and the Amendment.
Noting the need to fully implement United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540
(2004) on preventing non-State actors from obtaining weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their
means of delivery and related materials, in particular as it relates to nuclear material:
1. Participating States support the continued dialogue between the Security Council
committee established pursuant to UNSCR 1540 and States and support strengthened
international cooperation in this regard, in accordance with relevant United Nations
resolutions and within the framework of the United Nations Global Counterterrorism
Strategy;
2. Participating States support the activities of the Security Council committee established
pursuant to UNSCR 1540 to promote full implementation;
3. Participating States recognize the importance of complete and timely reporting as called
for by UNSCR 1540, and will work with other States to do so, including by providing
technical support or assistance, as requested;
4. Participating States note the outcome of Comprehensive Review by the Security Council
committee established pursuant to UNSCR 1540, including the consideration of the
establishment of a voluntary fund, and express their support for ensuring the effective and
sustainable support for the activities of the 1540 Committee;
5. With respect to the nuclear security-related aspects of Paragraph 3, sections (a) and (b) of
UNSCR 1540, Participating States recognize the importance of evaluating and improving
their physical protection systems to ensure that they are capable of achieving the
objectives set out in relevant International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear
Security Series documents and as contained in the document “Physical Protection of
Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities,” (INFCIRC/225); and
6. Participating States in a position to do so are encouraged to provide technical assistance
to those States that request it through appropriate mechanisms, including through the
Committee’s efforts to match needs with available resources.
Welcoming IAEA activities in support of national efforts to enhance nuclear security worldwide
and commending the work of the IAEA for the provision of assistance, upon request, through its
Nuclear Security Programme and for the implementation of the Nuclear Security Plan 2010 –
2013, approved by the Board of Governors in September 2009 and noted by the IAEA General
Conference, and welcoming IAEA programs to advance new technologies to improve nuclear
security and nuclear materials accountancy.
Recognizing that the IAEA is facilitating the development by member states, in the framework
of the Nuclear Security Series, of guidance and recommendations relating to the prevention and
detection of, and response to, theft, sabotage, unauthorized access and illegal transfer, or other
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malicious acts involving, inter alia, nuclear material, and associated facilities, and is providing
guidance in developing and implementing effective nuclear security measures.
Noting that pursuit of the objectives of this Work Plan will not be interpreted so as to alter the
mandate or responsibilities of the IAEA:
1. Participating States note that the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series of documents provides
recommendations and guidance to assist States in a wide range of aspects of nuclear
security, and encourage the widest possible participation by all its member states in the
process;
2. Participating States in a position to do so, will work actively with the IAEA towards the
completion and implementation, as appropriate, of the guidance provided by the Nuclear
Security Series, and to assist, upon request, other States in doing so;
3. Participating States in particular welcome and support the IAEA’s efforts to finalize the
fifth revision of the recommendations contained in INFCIRC/225, which will be
published in the Nuclear Security Series;
4. Participating States recognize the importance of nuclear material accountancy in support
of nuclear security and look forward to the completion of the technical guidance
document on “Nuclear Material Accountancy Systems at Facilities”;
5. Participating States will endeavor to incorporate, as appropriate, the relevant principles
set out in the Nuclear Security Series documents, into the planning, construction, and
operation of nuclear facilities;
6. Participating States, when implementing their national nuclear security measures, will
support the use of the IAEA Implementing Guide on the Development, Use and
Maintenance of the Design Basis Threat to elaborate their national design basis threat as
appropriate, to include the consideration of outsider and insider threats;
7. Participating States welcome the IAEA’s efforts to assist States to develop, upon request,
Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plans to consolidate their nuclear security needs into
integrated plans for nuclear security improvements and assistance;
8. Participating States recognize the value of IAEA support mechanisms such as the
International Physical Protection Advisory Service missions to review, as requested,
their physical protection systems for civilian nuclear material and facilities; and
9. Participating States call upon all member states of the IAEA in a position to do so to
provide the necessary support to enable the IAEA to implement these important
activities.

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Noting the contributions to the promotion of nuclear security by the U.N. and initiatives such as
the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the G-8 Global Partnership Against the
Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, as well as other bilateral, regional,
multilateral, and nongovernmental activities within their respective mandates and memberships:
1. Participating States will work together, as appropriate, to ensure that nuclear security
cooperation mechanisms are complementary, reinforcing, efficient, consistent with
related IAEA activities, and appropriately matched to identified needs in those States
requesting assistance;
2. Participating States encourage, where appropriate, expanded participation in and
commitment to international initiatives and voluntary cooperative mechanisms aimed at
improving nuclear security and preventing nuclear terrorism; and
3. Participating States welcome the intent of the members of the G-8 Global Partnership, in
a position to do so, to undertake additional programming to enhance nuclear security.
Recognizing States’ rights to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and noting
the responsibility of each State for the use and management of all nuclear materials and facilities
under its jurisdiction and recognize that highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium are
particularly sensitive and require special precautions:
1. Participating States will consider, where appropriate, the consolidation of national sites
where nuclear material is held;
2. Participating States will continue to exercise particular care in ensuring the safe and
secure transport of nuclear materials, both in domestic and international transport;
3. Participating States, where appropriate, will consider on a national basis the safe, secure
and timely removal and disposition of nuclear materials from facilities no longer using
them;
4. Participating States will continue to exercise particular care in securing and accounting
for separated plutonium, taking into consideration the potential of various forms for use
in a nuclear explosive device;
5. Participating States will consider, where appropriate, converting highly-enriched-uranium
fueled research reactors, and other nuclear facilities using highly enriched uranium, to
use low enriched uranium, where it is technically and economically feasible;
6. Participating States, as appropriate, will collaborate to research and develop new
technologies that require neither highly enriched uranium fuels for reactor operation nor
highly enriched uranium targets for producing medical or other isotopes, and will
encourage the use of low enriched uranium and other proliferation-resistant technologies
and fuels in various commercial applications such as isotope production;

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7. Participating States in a position to do so will provide assistance to those States
requesting assistance to secure, account for, consolidate, and convert nuclear materials;
and
8. Participating States will consider how to best address the security of radioactive sources,
as well as consider further steps as appropriate.
Mindful of the responsibilities of every Participating State to maintain effective nuclear security
and a robust domestic regulatory capacity:
1. Participating States will establish and maintain effective national nuclear security
regulations, including the periodic review and adjustment of the regulations as the State
considers appropriate;
2. Participating States undertake to maximize regulatory independence, consistent with each
State’s particular legal and institutional structures;
3. Participating States will undertake to build regulatory capacity and ensure sufficiently
trained and fully vetted professional nuclear security staff and adequate resources, taking
into account current needs and future expansion of their respective nuclear programs; and
4. Participating States will pursue the review and enforcement of compliance with national
nuclear security regulations as a matter of priority.
Understanding the role of the nuclear industry, including the private sector, in nuclear security
and recognizing that national governments are responsible for standard setting within each State:
1. Participating States will work, in guiding the nuclear industry, to promote and sustain
strong nuclear security culture and corporate commitment to implement robust security
practices, including regular exercises and performance testing of nuclear security
features, consistent with national regulations;
2. Consistent with State requirements, Participating States will facilitate exchange of best
practices, where legally and practically feasible, in nuclear security in the nuclear
industry, and in this respect, will utilize relevant institutions to support such exchanges;
and
3. Participating States encourage nuclear operators and architect/engineering firms to take
into account and incorporate, where appropriate, effective measures of physical
protection and security culture into the planning, construction, and operation of civilian
nuclear facilities and provide technical assistance, upon request, to other States in doing
so.
Emphasizing the importance of the human dimension of nuclear security, the need to enhance
security culture, and the need to maintain a well-trained cadre of technical experts:

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1. Participating States will promote cooperation, as appropriate, among international
organizations, governments, industries, other stakeholders, and academia for effective
capacity building, including human resources development in nuclear security programs;
2. Participating States will encourage the creation of and networking among nuclear
security support centres for capacity building to disseminate and share best practices and
will support IAEA activities in this area;
3. Participating States encourage the creation of adequate national nuclear security
capacities, and encourage supplier countries and technology suppliers to support those
capacities in the recipient countries, including human resources development through
education and training, upon request and consistent with each State’s particular legal and
institutional structures;
4. Participating States will encourage an integrated approach to education and training and
institutional capacity building by all stakeholders having a key role in establishing and
maintaining adequate security infrastructure; and
5. Participating States will encourage the implementation of national measures to ensure the
proper management of sensitive information in order to prevent illicit acquisition or use
of nuclear material, and, where appropriate, will support bilateral and multilateral
capacity building projects, upon request.
Underscoring the value of exchanging accurate and verified information, without prejudice to
confidentiality provisions, to detect, prevent, suppress, investigate, and prosecute acts or
attempted acts of illicit nuclear trafficking and nuclear terrorism:
1. Participating States will strive to improve their national criminal laws, as needed, to
ensure that they have the adequate authority to prosecute all types of cases of illicit
nuclear trafficking and nuclear terrorism and commit to prosecuting these crimes to the
full extent of the law;
2. Participating States are encouraged to develop and apply mechanisms to expand sharing
of information on issues, challenges, risks and solutions related to nuclear security,
nuclear terrorism and illicit nuclear trafficking in a comprehensive and timely manner;
and
3. Participating States are encouraged to develop methods and mechanisms, where
appropriate, to enhance bilateral and multilateral collaboration in sharing urgent and
relevant information on nuclear security and incidents involving illicit nuclear trafficking.
Noting the IAEA’s and Participating States’ work in the field of nuclear detection and nuclear
forensics, aimed at assisting States in connection with the detection of and response to illicitly
trafficked nuclear material, and determination of its origin, and recognizing the importance of
respecting provisions on confidentiality of information:

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1. Participating States will consider taking further steps, nationally, bilaterally or
multilaterally, to enhance their technical capabilities, including the appropriate use of
new and innovative technologies, to prevent and combat illicit nuclear trafficking;
2. Participating States will explore ways to work together to develop national capacities for
nuclear forensics, such as the creation of national libraries and an international directory
of points of contact, to facilitate and encourage cooperation between States in combating
illicit nuclear trafficking , including relevant IAEA activities in this area; and
3. Participating States will explore ways to enhance broader cooperation among local,
national and international customs and law enforcement bodies to prevent illicit nuclear
trafficking and acts of nuclear terrorism, including through joint exercises and sharing of
best practices.

April 13, 2010

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