Center
for Non-Proliferation Studies
Critical
Issues Forum
Nuclear
Renaissance:
Benefits
versus Risks
Student-participant: Tatiana Serikova
Teacher-consultant: Irina Zyryanova
School 125
Snezhinsk
2007-2008
Any country is
entitled to pursue the development of nuclear energy under current
international agreements.
Nowadays nearly 40 countries own nuclear power plants
and infrastructure, which can be used to make nuclear weapon. In 71 countries
there are nearly 900 laboratories and plants, using radioactive materials,
which can be used for military purposes.
43 countries (including 28 developing countries) own highly-enriched
uranium and 12 countries own plutonium. And only 250 international experts
control these objects.
Non-Proliferation Treaty is the fundamental
international treaty, which controls usage of nuclear power. It was open for
signing in 1968 and divided all countries into 2 groups: those, who own nuclear
weapons and non-nuclear countries.
Those days only USA (from 1945), USSR (from 1949),
Great Britain (from 1952), France (from 1960) and China (from 1964) had nuclear
weapon. Nowadays these countries are permanent members of Security Council of
United Nations Organization. Some of the countries, which have tried to acquire
nuclear weapons, motivated their attempts saying, that this treaty legalized
supremacy of nuclear weapon states. So, it was said, that having nuclear weapon
is just an instrument to keep back ambitions of nuclear weapon states and
serious argument in different international negotiations. But nuclear weapon
states consider their nuclear arsenals mostly like as an instrument of
protection of autonomy and security of nations, not like a real weapon.
This treaty obliged non-nuclear states to refrain from
producing and buying nuclear weapon and to recognize that all their nuclear
plants should be under International Atomic Energy AgencyÔs control. Nuclear
weapon countries obliged, that they wouldnŐt transfer nuclear weapon and other
kinds of nuclear explosive devices to any recipient whatsoever, except those
deals, which would pass under control of IAEA. Firstly, this treaty had period
of validity for 25 years, but in 1995 it was decided to make the treaty termless. By July, 1 2000 it had been signed by 187 countries.
Israel, India and Pakistan and Cuba havenŐt signed this treaty. Cuba has signed
international treaty, which declared South and Central America and Caribbean
Sea basin nuclear weapon-free zone. Pakistan and India officially declared that
they had nuclear weapon in 1998. Israel doesnŐt admit and doesnŐt deny owning
nuclear weapon. As for countries, which have signed this treaty, there is
ability for giving up Non-Proliferation treaty. Every country could drop out of
this treaty under some extraordinary circumstances, which would threaten
country supreme interests. North Korea has twice given up Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
But despite this treaty, international society has
been rejecting some statesŐ efforts to acquire nuclear weapon for several last
decades. In some cases it was done, and it was done without usage of military
forces. As a result, Argentine, South African Republic, Brazil, Egypt and Libya
havenŐt become nuclear weapon states. But now new problem has appeared. Iran is
developing nuclear power engineering. There are no proofs of a fact that Iran
is trying to produce a nuclear bomb. Iran claims, that uranium enrichment was
started just to provide nuclear reactors (constructing of them was already
started) with necessary fuel. But many people think that Security Council of
United Nations Organization should make a resolution, which will urge Iran to
give up its nuclear program. Why?
All these problems are the
consequences of duality of nuclear technology: sometimes military plants canŐt
be distinguished from the civil ones. Technology and knowledge can be used both
in military and civil purposes. Every country, even regularly checked by the
IAEA and the European Atomic Energy Agency, owning civil nuclear technologies
can create nuclear weapon. The secret made of
using little amounts of nuclear
fuel to military purposes can pass unnoticed by inspecting IAEAŐs
commission. There also can be cases of theft of sensitive information and
technologies. Even without special secret military programs, civil usage of
nuclear power has a lot of possibilities for military developments.
-
The enrichment and fuel fabrication plants can be used for fabrication
of highly-enriched uranium, which are used for making nuclear bombs, like the
one, that was dropped on Hiroshima.
-
The experimental and civil reactors can be used for producing plutonium
which is used for making nuclear bombs, like the one, that was dropped on
Nagasaki.
-
The reprocessing plants can be used for producing Pu
, which can also be a material for making weapons.
-
Fuel storages can be used as a storage for
nuclear weapon materials.
-
Nuclear facilities, which are used for civil aims, can be also used for
making military developments.
So that, every country, which
develops nuclear power engineering someday may become able to make nuclear
weapon.
And faster development of nuclear technologies leads
to the increasing of the ability of military use. Nowadays, nearly 30 countries
own technologies for making nuclear weapons. If the number of such countries
increases (to 50-60) it will lead to the lack of control from the IAEA.
So, if we allow any country to develop nuclear power
engineering, international security will be endangered. Such decision requires
widening of IAEAŐs powers, extended developing of
international cooperation and, surely, complete transparency of nuclear
programs. But what does StateŐs complete transparency of nuclear programs mean
for it?
First of all, security of the state becomes
endangered, because such data as amount and quality of equipment, battle
readiness, and economical issues become clear. Also secrecy of scientific
researches becomes impossible. So that, country becomes
vulnerable to attack. In other words, if we are trying to strength world
security, we will weaken security of single country. Moreover, threat of
nuclear terrorism becomes more serious. Terror acts usually aim the achievement
of dramatic effects, which can be simply achieved by using of nuclear
materials. So if terrorists occupy nuclear plant or declare of owning nuclear
weapon, there can not be serious damage, but psychological effect will be
awful. According to that, the efforts (or declaring about of these efforts) of
terror groups to get nuclear materials or damage nuclear plants will increase. We canŐt accept the possibility of
painstakingly prepared terror acts, aimed usurpation of nuclear power stations.
Also, probability of accident increases with the
number of nuclear power plants.
To sum it up, today this problem seems to be difficult
to solve. To do this step, we should widen international economical and
scientific cooperation. But international development of nuclear power
engineering is not only aggregate of developments in every country. It is
possible to buy electric energy, which is produced on nuclear plants, like it
does Denmark. It is possible to provide third world countries with uranium fuel
and equipment. So, such decision can be never made.
Bibliography:
1.
The reports
of moderators about the results of unofficial bilateral consultation. Enclosure
IIÓDÓ to the report of a working group. General Assembly of the United Nations
Organization, official reports, 58 term, 6th committee, point №156 of
agenda – ŇSteps to the Liquidation of
International TerrorismÓ(doc A/C.6/58L.10)
2.
N.S. Babaev, E.O. Adamov, M.N. Ryzhov, I.A. Sobolev, ŇThe IAEAÓ,
a scientific edition, Moscow, 1997