Role of International Conferences on Nuclear Security

This article examines the influence of international conferences on nuclear security on the development of international nuclear law. It also considers international conferences as a mechanism and form of international cooperation in the field of nuclear security. The article highlights the role of international conferences in the evolving discourse on the physical protection of nuclear materials, nuclear sources, and nuclear installations. Between 2010 and 2016, international conferences marked a shift in focus from the physical protection of military nuclear facilities to the physical protection of nuclear facilities for peaceful use. This shift was largely driven by the development of national regimes for the physical protection of civilian facilities and nuclear technologies. Analyzing the outcomes of the 2022 international conference of the State Parties to the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, the article concludes that international conferences have become an effective tool of international cooperation in resolving sensitive issues between states related to the physical protection of nuclear materials and civilian nuclear installations. International conferences also encourage states to join international conventions on nuclear security, thereby expanding opportunities for cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.