Sustainable Nuclear Security Governance: Beyond the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit

The upcoming 2016 Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is the last in a series of summits initiated by US President Barack Obama in 2010. Each successive summit has built on previous pledges to secure nuclear materials, ratify international legal instruments, and provide support for global efforts to improve nuclear security oversight and governance. The NSS process has also built a community of trusted stakeholders: sherpas from governments and international organizations, nuclear industry leaders, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations.

On September 15, 2015, on the margins of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 59th General Conference in Vienna, Austria, the Stanley Center and the World Institute for Nuclear Security co-organized a side event supported by the US Mission to International Organizations in Vienna. The purpose of the event was to bring together stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society to discuss the challenges of maintaining the momentum and achievements of the NSS process beyond the final summit in 2016. The discussion also focused on how the nuclear industry can organize itself beyond 2016 to deliver on its commitments from the past six years and how civil society can contribute to positive advancement of nuclear security governance in the future.

This event report presents highlights of remarks from the panel, audience responses, and resulting discussion.