The Gist of the Interventions by Prime Minister of Japan
Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
27 March 2012
1. Introduction
- (1) With the encouragement and support from countries worldwide, the reconstruction is now making steady progress in the affected areas.
- (2) The nuclear accident, while caused by an enormous natural disaster, also provides findings and lessons useful for preparations against man-made incidents, such as one triggered by a terrorist attack against a nuclear power plant.
2. Three Lessons Learned from The Accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
- (1) The importance of preparing for unanticipated risks as the consequence of a nuclear accident could be devastating and wide-ranging, with long-term negative impacts.
- (2) The necessity to master rapid response including through field drills jointly conducted by the police, the Japan Coast Guard and the Self-Defense Forces.
- (3) The necessity to always prepare for the worst case scenarios and make continued efforts toward securing nuclear safety.
3. Measures taken in Japan to Strengthen Nuclear Security
- (1) Overcoming the vulnerabilities in our Nuclear Facilities
- Augmenting of power supply equipment and reinforcement of vulnerabilities in the power supply system
- Increase of stocks of equipment, including radiation-shielded vehicles, survey meters and radiation protection suits
- Improvement of response procedures and inter-agency co-ordination manuals
- (2) Strengthening our counter-terror related security measures
- Reinforcement of the manned guard structure: Increase in the number of armed security personnel, strengthening of the system of patrols and examination of the screening system for trustworthiness of workers at nuclear facilities
- Improvement of the protection of facilities and security equipment: Introduction of redundancies in central alarm stations and enhancement of protective measures for important equipment outside of inner areas
- Enhancement of information security: Strengthening of measures to block the computer systems of nuclear facilities from outside networks
4. International Cooperative Engagement to Raise Nuclear Security Levels Worldwide
- (1) Raising security levels worldwide is essential to avert the risk of theft from countries with weak protection for use in terrorist acts against other target countries
- (2) Promoting international cooperation in the area of nuclear security
- Expansion of human and material assistance to developing countries; hosting and training of human resources through our centre of excellence, i.e., the Integrated Support Centre for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Nuclear Security
- Coordination with like-minded countries through efforts to ensure transportation security and through participation in other initiatives
- Cooperation with the IAEA through continued contributions to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund and through sharing best practices in the implementation of IAEA recommendations
- (3) In matters related to non-proliferation, the nuclear development programmes of Iran and North Korea are matters of grave concern. North Korea’s launch of a missile under the guise of “a satellite,” as recently announced, is against the non-proliferation efforts of the international community and violates relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The international community strongly urges North Korea to exercise restraint and cancel the launch.
- (4) From the perspective of both nuclear disarmament and nuclear security, halting the production of weapons-grade fissile material carries great significance. The early commencement of negotiations on an FMCT is called for.
5. Concluding Remarks
- (1) Confident of human kind in its capability and wisdom to utilise science-based lessons from disaster experiences for future development
- (2) Need to protect the achievements of science and technology from terrorist attacks, to use resources safely and effectively, and to hand over security and prosperity to our future generations
- (3) At the end of this year, in cooperation with the IAEA, Japan will host an international conference in Fukushima to enhance nuclear safety around the world
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