Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material

{{Short description|1980 treaty}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}

The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material was adopted on 26 October 1979 in Vienna, Austria. The initial signing ceremony took place in Vienna and at New York on 3 March 1980, and the convention entered into force on 8 February 1987. The convention is deposited with the International Atomic Energy Agency. In July 2005 a diplomatic conference was convened to amend the convention and strengthen its provisions,{{cite web|url=http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Conventions/cppnm.html|title=Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material|date=17 October 2014|publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency|accessdate=21 November 2019}} as a result of which it was renamed the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities.

As of October 2018, there are 157 state parties to the convention plus the European Atomic Energy Community.

Upon accession, 38 countries declared themself as not bound by the provisions of Article 17 paragraph 2 and did not accept the competence of the International Court of Justice in settlement of the disputes. Five countries withdrew these objections thereafter.{{cite web|url=https://www-legacy.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Conventions/cppnm_reserv.pdf|title=Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. Declarations/reservations and objections thereto|publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency|access-date=21 November 2019|archive-date=4 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404142912/http://www-legacy.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Conventions/cppnm_reserv.pdf|url-status=dead}}

The United States Department of State says that:

{{blockquote|The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material provides for certain levels of physical protection during international transport of nuclear material. It also establishes a general framework for cooperation among states in the protection, recovery, and return of stolen nuclear material. Further, the Convention lists certain serious offenses involving nuclear material which state parties are to make punishable and for which offenders shall be subject to a system of extradition or submission for prosecution.{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/isn/5079.htm |title=Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material |date=3 March 1980 |website=Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation |publisher=United States Department of State}}

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