On July 30, the Federal Law on Acceptance of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material entered into force in the Russian Federation.

The Amendment to the October 26, 1979 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, worked out with Russia’s active participation, is a unique international treaty in both significance and dimensions, ranking with universal antiterrorist conventions. This multilateral document is aimed at reinforcing the international legal regime of nuclear security, including measures against nuclear terrorism and any other unauthorized access to nuclear material and technology.

The Amendment expands the scope of the 1979 Convention, which after the entry into force of the Amendment will encompass not only commitments to secure nuclear material in international transport, but also to secure nuclear facilities under the jurisdiction of the states parties to the 1979 Convention. An important innovation is the extension of the list of violations involving nonobservance of the physical protection regime. Compared with the 1979 Convention, such acts as traffic in contraband nuclear material, sabotage of nuclear facilities, and aiding and abetting such crimes will be added to it.

The provisions of the Convention regarding the issues of extradition have been greatly reinforced. The Amendment confirms that none of the offenses set forth in the 1979 Convention shall be regarded for the purposes of extradition as a political offense. It inserts a special provision into the 1979 Convention, by which the measures to ensure the physical protection of nuclear material cannot prevent nuclear technology from being transferred for peaceful purposes.

The Russian Federation hopes that the range of states having ratified the Amendment to the 1979 Convention will be actively expanded, this making it possible to ensure the earliest entry into force of this important international treaty.