The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material
The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, drafted on the 26 October 1979, is designed to ensure that nuclear material dedicated to non-military purposes is secure while being transported and to a limited extent when being used peacefully on a domestic level. If there is a breach of security, and nuclear material is removed, used or modified without authorisation, states are obliged to establish a central contact point which is responsible for the coordination of efforts to recover the nuclear material in question. In the event of such an incident states are also encouraged to cooperate in order to accomplish this task. Finally, the Convention emphasises that the 153 State Parties must ensure that acts of theft, fraudulent obtainment, or the threat to use nuclear material by an individual are designated criminal offences within their respective domestic legal frameworks.