Nuclear Governance in South Asia

Abstract

Nuclear governance could be defined as a set of legislative, regulatory, and institutional measures considered essential for safe, secure, and efficient management of all nuclear material and related facilities. Although there exists no consensus on how nuclear governance is defined, all states have a legally binding obligation to adopt national measures and ensure that their nuclear material and facilities remain safe from all possible internal and external threats. The UNSC Resolution 1540 and the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) process, besides several other initiatives may have been useful in creating greater awareness on nuclear security-related issues. Both India and Pakistan have a significant nuclear infrastructure and as responsible nuclear states have an obligation to develop their respective national nuclear security architecture, including the strategic export controls, in line with international best practices. This could be done by sharing of best practices and learning from the experiences of other nuclear powers.