India Safeguards Agreement: Is Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime Strengthening?

INDIA SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT: IS NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME STRENGTHENING?

Eri Hiswara
Pusat Teknologi Keselamatan dan Metrologi Radiasi � BATAN
Kawasan Nuklir Pasar Jumat, Jl. Cinere Pasar Jumat, Jakarta 10270
ABSTRACT
INDIA SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT: IS NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME STRENGTHENING? The August 2008 approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors of an India-specific safeguards agreement was an important step toward implementing the July 2005 nuclear deal between the then U.S. President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Singh. Under this deal, President Bush pledged to seek an exemption for India from U.S. nonproliferation standards. The President also committed to seeking an exemption from similar international rules adopted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which was then granted on September 2008. Even though the IAEA Director General has voiced a support to this India-specific safeguards agreement, the meaning and legal requirements established by the agreement, particularly in terms of the conditions under which safeguards may be terminated, are still controversial and doubted by many. The contents of the NSG document which exempts India from its guidelines for international nuclear trade can also be variously interpreted. This international development on nuclear safeguards in turns bring about a big question, is nuclear non-proliferation regime strengthen with this new India safeguards agreement?

Keywords: safeguards agreement, non-proliferation, nuclear suppliers group
Published : Proceeding "SEMINAR NASIONAL PENGEMBANGAN ENERGI NUKLIR II 2009", Jakarta, 25 Juni 2009