



Media contact:  Malcolm Cole (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500     Joseph Kerr (Departmental) 02 6261 1555          www.dfat.gov.au

MEDIA RELEASE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ALEXANDER DOWNER

FA052           16  May  2007



AUSTRALIAN GRANT TO INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY’S  NUCLEAR SECURITY FUND



I am pleased to announce that Australia has made a contribution of A$300,000 to the Nuclear  Security Fund (NSF), established by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy  Agency  (IAEA)  in  2002  to  support  its  nuclear  security  program.   The  contribution  will  be   directed towards nuclear and radiological counter-terrorism activities in the South East Asian

and Pacific Islands region.

The  contribution  will  complement  other  Australian  activities  to  combat  the  global  threat  of   nuclear and radiological terrorism.  Australia is also an active member of the Global Initiative  to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, established in July 2006 to enhance cooperation between and  build the capacity of its members to address this threat.

As part of our contribution to the work plan of the Global Initiative, Australia will host the  Asia-Pacific Seminar on Combating Nuclear Terrorism, in Sydney on 17-18 May 2007.  The  Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock MP, will deliver the opening address at the seminar.  Mr  Mike  Smith,  the  Australian  Ambassador  for  Counter-Terrorism,  will  chair  the  seminar,  and   the IAEA will provide an address on its nuclear security and counter-terrorism activities.

This  regional  outreach  seminar  will  spread  awareness  of  the  Global  Initiative  and  its  work   plan, with the aim of encouraging membership from the region.  It will present an assessment  of the global and regional threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism, identify Australian and  other available capacity and regional assistance programs concerning nuclear and radiological  security, and share information and views on risk mitigation.

The seminar will be attended by policy and technical officials, primarily from South East Asia  and  the  South  Pacific  and  including  the  United  States  and  Russia  as  Global  Initiative  co-chairs, who will participate in interactive discussions on a range of nuclear and radiological

terrorism issues and the role of the Global Initiative in addressing them.





