Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the recent ratifications of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM/A), which, once those countries to deposit their instrument of ratification with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will bring this important treaty into force. 

This treaty fills a gap in the existing international regime by modernizing the international legal framework for nuclear security, which is essential to our efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction or sabotaging nuclear facilties.  The 2005 Amendment strengthens the original Convention by imposing requirements for the physical protection of nuclear material for peaceful purposes in storage, use and domestic transport and security at related facilities.  Once the CPPNM/A enters into force, it becomes legally binding and will allow for the IAEA to convene regular review conferences on the implementation of the treaty.

The amendment will enter into force thirty days after two-thirds of the 153 states party to the CPPNM deposit their instruments of ratification with the IAEA.  As of April 1, 2016, 102 states party have deposited their instrument of ratification; two additional states party must deposit instruments of ratification for the amendment to enter into force.  The United States deposited its instrument of ratification for the amendment with the IAEA on July 31, 2015.  The United States has emphasized the importance of depositing the instruments of ratification and is offering assistance as needed to achieve the universalization of the Amended Convention, noting that 78 countries have ratified since April 2009.