Keeping the Heat off of the Street: Trends in Radiological Material Security Legislation

Abstract

The Stimson Center is developing the Radiological Source Security Legal Index and Online Tool (RadSecLexis), an online database aiming to measure countries' efforts to implement IAEA guidance and publicly make measurements, laws, and regulations available to those seeking examples of national implementing measures. This research project aims to assist the Partnerships in Proliferation Prevention Program in gathering quantitative data on United Nations member state legislation promulgated from December 2018 to September 2021 concerning the physical protection of radioactive and nuclear materials.

This study examines the relationship between international radiological and nuclear security events and the implementation of national radiological security measures, exploring whether there is a correlation or causation between these events and subsequent policy changes. In our findings, we can identify trends in regional cooperation and similar attitudes toward implementing international guidelines. However, it is still being determined if there is a correlation or causation between international incidents and the passing of national security measures due to gaps in data and analytics we could not access. In addition, there are disparities in implementing these measures. Regional challenges involve international cooperation in nuclear and radiological security due to a need for more resources or access to technology and funding.

The paper will review the foundation of our methodology, which elaborates on the experimentation of different data collection methods, including utilizing Google Search and Artificial Intelligence. A streamlined process was developed for the collection, cleaning, cross-referencing, and organization of data most efficiently due to the time constraints of this project. However, our data collection operations needed to be improved with the accuracy of the gathered information.

Using the Multiple Case Sampling Method, we gathered multiple sources of information. We developed databases from the IAEA's June 2022 Conference on Safety and Security of Radiological Sources, the Incident Trafficking Database, and the James Martin Center for Nuclear Studies reports drawing connections to global trends in national laws and regulations related to radioactive materials. Our qualitative and quantitative section overviews identified global trends such as the collective concerns on the security of radioactive and nuclear materials in Ukraine and challenges with implementing IAEA guidelines in select nations from the Global South.