Facilitating Accountability for Nuclear Security – A Model National Assurance Programme for Nuclear Security

This paper, based on the imaginary State of Ruritania, sets out a hierarchical assurance framework from the Head of State to the hand of the practitioner, and gives practical guidance on the type of assurances that must be in place to have any real confidence in the security regime. None of the assurance statements recommended for publication would be classified. The objective of the paper is therefore to encourage all States to think about their own assurance processes and to assess whether they provide sufficient confidence to themselves, the public and other States. A lack of assurance is bad enough, but a false sense of security may be even worse.