The European Union and the United States of America, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), each understand the importance of nuclear security and embrace the shared international responsibility to develop and promote systems and measures for the prevention of, detection of, and response to nuclear or other radioactive materials out of regulatory control. In recognition of this international responsibility, and in support of the Nuclear Security Summit Key Topic of Combating Illicit Trafficking, and in line with the conclusions of the successful “International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts” organised by the IAEA in Vienna on 1–5 July 2013, we are taking the following initial steps:
- The IAEA Nuclear Security Series, specifically the Implementing Guide on Nuclear Security Systems and Measures for the Detection of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material out of Regulatory Control, emphasizes the importance of detection instruments in the context of a national level Nuclear Security Detection Architecture. In support of this principle, the European Commission Directorate General for Home Affairs (EC-HOME), the Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have collaborated through the Border Monitoring Working Group in the conduct of the Illicit Trafficking Radiation Assessment Program (ITRAP+10) test campaign.
The ITRAP+10 effort demonstrates a crucial facet of nuclear detection as outlined in the IAEA Nuclear Security Series, namely the evaluation of nuclear and radiological detection technologies against a set of common performance goals. Over the past three years, this international partnership tested about 70 different models of detection and identification equipment against international guidance and standards. Now that testing has been completed, we pledge to share the findings of this test campaign to inform, as appropriate, future revisions to the IAEA Nuclear Security Series and other relevant international standards. Furthermore, we intend to make available scientific and technical data on commercially available detection systems with the international community with the aim of documenting detection instrument capabilities, exemplifying proper usage and deployment, and promoting new research and development efforts.