Output 1.4: International Safeguards and Non-Proliferation

Contribution to the development and effective implementation of international safeguards and the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Performance Measures

• Contribute to the strengthening of international safeguards in ways that advance Australia's interests.
• Contribute to policy development and diplomatic activity by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
• Contribute to the IAEA's Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI).
• Manage the Australian Safeguards Support Program (ASSP).
• Cooperate with counterparts in other countries in the strengthening of international safeguards and improvement of domestic safeguards implementation.
• Provide advice and assistance to the Australian Intelligence Community in support of national and international non-proliferation efforts.
• Manage ASNO's international outreach program.
• Assess developments in nuclear technology.

Performance Assessment

Strengthening International Safeguards

ASNO continues its active role in international efforts in shaping and developing the effective implementation of nuclear safeguards, through engagement in a range of fora and projects. This includes working directly with the IAEA, as well as with other international bodies, notably through ASNO's membership of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network (APSN).

This engagement assists with building and maintaining of specialist knowledge in ASNO on developments, emerging issues and trends in nuclear non-proliferation and how the IAEA verifies nuclear programs. This helps inform Australian Government policy on international security issues and supports ASNO's monitoring and administration of the use of Australian uranium under Australia's many bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements. Developments in a range of IAEA approaches to different verification challenges can also change the regulatory impact on nuclear industrial and research activities in Australia. Maintaining specialist knowledge therefore also helps ensure changes in safeguards regulatory approaches can be managed with minimal disruption.

On broader aspects of safeguards implementation, ASNO's engagement included the IAEA Director General's Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI), technical meetings on IAEA safeguards projects, and various conferences and workshops. In September 2020, ASNO was also part of the Australian delegation to the annual IAEA General Conference, contributing to the negotiation of the Safeguards Resolution ('Strengthening the Effectiveness and Improving the Efficiency of Agency Safeguards') which was adopted by consensus.

Australian Safeguards Support Program

The Australian Safeguards Support Program (ASSP), coordinated by ASNO, is one of 21 programs established by Member States and the European Commission to assist the IAEA in safeguards research and development. Australia has one of the longest-running programs, having been in place for over 40 years.

The ASSP contributes to projects supporting the IAEA's safeguards development and implementation needs, including by reviewing IAEA technical guidance documents, training materials and updates to the Physical Model. In February 2021, technical experts from ANSTO Minerals and Rio Tinto participated in a virtual consultancy meeting to update IAEA guidance on performing technical assessments of states' capabilities to develop and deploy undeclared uranium mining and milling technologies.

In August 2020, ASNO participated in the review of the IAEA's draft guidelines on implementation of safeguards for facilities and LOFs that are shutdown or under decommissioning. In 2021, ASNO is assisting the IAEA with development of online courses by peer reviewing the Agency's e-learning training modules on state systems of accounting for and control of nuclear material (SSAC).

ASNO is also supporting the IAEA's Comprehensive Capacity Building Initiative for SSACs and RSAs (COMPASS), the IAEA's new initiative to provide tailored safeguards assistance to Member States in areas such as training for the safeguards regulatory authority, outreach to nuclear operators, procurement of equipment, and drafting of national regulations and reference guidelines/manuals.

Nuclear Inspection Robots

In November 2017, CSIRO hosted the IAEA's Robotics Challenge, an event aimed at developing robotic systems to help inspectors perform repetitive inspection tasks more efficiently and consistently, particularly in areas of nuclear facilities that may be difficult to access (see ASNO's Annual Report 2017–18). The IAEA selected a design produced by Datastart Ltd of Hungary, which autonomously propels itself across the surface of a spent fuel pond while holding a device for measuring radiation glow patterns (known as Cherenkov glow). The robot has the potential to automate time-consuming inspection tasks required to verify nuclear material in spent fuel. The IAEA is continuing discussions with Member States, nuclear facility operators (including ANSTO) and Datastart Ltd to further refine and test the design to ensure it is compliant with all applicable requirements and regulations. During 2020–21, CSIRO assisted with upgrading the robot's autonomous features, user interface and broader system architecture.

Mass Spectrometers for the Detection of Undeclared Nuclear Activities

ANSTO's Centre for Accelerator Science participates in the IAEA Department of Safeguards' Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL), providing bulk analysis of swipe samples. During 2019, extensive testing established that ANSTO successfully resolved issues with sources of background in the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry system that had required temporary suspension of routine analyses of swipe samples. In July 2020, ANSTO issued its results to the IAEA for a batch of re-validation samples, which the IAEA accepted.

ANSTO and other NWAL members participated in an inter-laboratory comparison exercise during 2020–21 in which they analysed swipe samples from the IAEA. The results of the exercise were discussed during the Technical Meeting on Bulk Analysis of Environmental Samples for Safeguards in May 2021. ANSTO obtained satisfactory results in the exercise. ANSTO expects to resume routine analysis of samples from IAEA inspections from July 2021.

The University of Western Australia's Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis continues to participate in the NWAL. The Centre uses its large-geometry secondary ion mass spectrometer (LG-SIMS) for uranium isotopic characterisation of particles in environmental samples for nuclear safeguards. The Centre has continued to analyse samples for the IAEA on a regular basis throughout the COVID–19 pandemic, including 22 IAEA samples during the financial year 2020–21 of which several were categorised by the IAEA as high priority.

Proliferation Analysis Training

Since 2009, Australia has provided annual proliferation analysis training to IAEA safeguards staff to enhance their ability to apply structured analytical techniques to complex proliferation issues. This training assists IAEA staff to analyse disparate sources of information, including state-declared and open-source information. The Office of National Intelligence (ONI) and the Australian Department of Defence planned proliferation analysis workshops for the IAEA in 2020–21 but these were postponed due to travel COVID–19 restrictions. ONI is working with the IAEA on a shorter introductory seminar on proliferation analysis. The content of the workshop is regularly updated and participant feedback from recent work shops has confirmed that the training continues to meet the needs of the IAEA Department of Safeguards.

Information Collection and Analysis for Safeguards

The Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney has provided an expert consultant to assist the IAEA Department of Safeguards' Division of Information Management to optimise the collection and analysis of open-source information for safeguards. The project involves applying network analysis software to map safeguards-relevant transfers and relationships within strategic trade networks for states in East and Southeast Asia, using open-source trade statistics and transaction-level data. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the Agency's ability to identify trade flows of safeguards-relevant commodities.

Cooperation with other States

ASNO has close and long-standing relationships with nuclear security and safeguards regulatory and policy agencies in several countries both within and outside the region. ASNO actively worked to maintain and strengthen relationships through projects under the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network (APSN). The constraints on travel due to COVID–19 meant that all outreach was done virtually during the reporting period.

The 11th annual meeting of APSN was held virtually on 2 December 2020, hosted by the Government of Indonesia and organised by Indonesia's Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN). The meeting was attended by 70 participants from 16 countries (including observers from Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste) and representatives from the IAEA and ESARDA.²⁴ A common theme of the shared experiences was the operational flexibility and new approaches used by the IAEA and Member States to achieve safeguards objectives under COVID-related restrictions.

APSN Chair Prof Jazi Eko Istiyanto and the BAPETEN Host at the APSN 11th Annual Meeting, 2 December 2020, virtual format. (Image courtesy of BAPETEN.)

Dr Robert Floyd, Steering Committee Members and Mr Peter Rance (from left to right) at the APSN, 11th Annual Meeting, 2 December 2020, virtual format. (Image courtesy of BAPETEN.)

The resilience required to continue implementing safeguards was explored further in a virtual regional seminar on "Building Resilience in Safeguards Implementation: Experiences, Lessons and Good Practices in Preparing for Unforeseen Events" held on 2–4 March 2021 hosted by the United States Department of Energy and APSN. ASNO gave presentations on its experiences in facilitating IAEA safeguards inspections and working with permit holders to meet safeguards objectives. ASNO shared results from the application of the Department of Home Affairs' Organisational Resilience Health Check tool²⁵ to evaluate resilience indicators. The results helped to show where improvements could be made in ASNO's own business continuity plans.

IAEA Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation

The IAEA Director General's Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI) provides recommendations to the IAEA Director General on vital safeguards implementation issues. The Group currently comprises 17 international experts from 17 Member States. The members serve on the group in a personal capacity (rather than as representatives of their government or organisation). Each expert is invited to serve a three-year term, with the possibility of renewal. The Secretariat of SAGSI includes the IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards, and the Director, Division of Concepts and Planning. Dr Robert Floyd (formerly Director General ASNO) had been the Chair of SAGSI since the 77th series of SAGSI meetings in 2013. He resigned his position in June 2021 after his appointment as Executive Secretary CTBTO. Dr Stephan Bayer, Director IAEA Safeguards Section, ASNO, will take up an appointment to SAGSI at its next meeting.

SAGSI has two series of meetings each year, with each series usually comprising a working group meeting and a plenary meeting. During the reporting period all meetings were held virtually. During each series of meetings, SAGSI examines and provides advice on a list of safeguards implementation topics set by the IAEA Director General. In 2020–21, SAGSI examined the IAEA's State-level approaches (SLA) Improvement Project, updating the IAEA safeguards glossary and progress on the COMPASS Initiative (see page 65).

24 The European Safeguards Research and Development Association

25 https://www.organisationalresilience.gov.au/