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BRAZILIAN-ARGENTINE AGENCY FOR ACCOUNTING AND

CONTROL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS

ABACC

OAS Seminar on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

Washington, DC - March 2011

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ABACC Presentation

Odilon Marcuzzo do Canto, Ph.D.

ABACC Secretary

odilon@abacc.org.br

Garantee of peaceful use of nuclear energy in Brazil and

Argentina

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Foundation and Purpose

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• Binational organization created in July 1991 with the purpose of managing and applying the Common System of Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (SCCC), established by the Federal Republic of Brazil and the Republic of Argentina Perspectivas

• The headquarters are located in Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil. ABACC also has an office in Buenos Aires, Argentina

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ABACC and the Common System of Accounting and Control of Nuclear

Materials - SCCC

The Common System of Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials is a mechanism created in order to verify if Argentina and Brazil utilize their nuclear materials exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Declarations and Other Documents in the Field of Nuclear Safeguards in Brazil and

Argentina

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1980 – Agreement on Cooperation for R&D in NE1985 – Declaration of Foz do Iguaçu 1987 – Declaration of Viedma1988 – Declaration of Iperó1990 – Declaration of Foz do Iguaçu1991 –Bilateral Agreement for the Exclusively Pacific Use of Nuclear Energy

(18/07/91)

1991 – Quadripartite Agreement for the Application of Comprehensive Safeguards (13/12/91)

1994 – Enforcement of the Quadripartite Agreement

1994 – Full adhesion of Argentina (in January) and of Brazil (in May) to the Treaty of Tlatelolco

1995 – Adhesion of Argentina to the Treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (TNP)

1997 – Adhesion of Brazil to the Treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (TNP)

2005 – Puerto Iguazú Commitment

The path towards the creation of ABACC By Sara Zahra Kutchesfahani, PhD. Thesis, UCL

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Developing mutual trust and confidence between Brazil and Argentina in the nuclear sector

1991Agreement between Argentina and Brazil for

the Exclusively Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy (Bilateral Agreement). Creation of the ABACC

The countries established the SCCC and created the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials in order to manage and apply the SCCC.

Guadalajara, 18th July 1991.

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Developing mutual trust and confidence between Brazil and Argentina in the nuclear sector

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1991Agreement between Brazil, Argentina, the ABACC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (Quadripartite Agreement)

Brazil, Argentina, the ABACC and the IAEA undertook to apply safeguards to all the nuclear materials in all the nuclear activities performed in their territory, under their jurisdiction or under their control elsewhere, with the single objective of ensuring that these materials are not diverted for application in nuclear weapons or in other explosive nuclear devices.

Vienna, 13th December 1991.

ABACC-IAEA relationship

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Furthermore,• The State Parties, the ABACC and the IAEA shall cooperate

to facilitate the implementation of the safeguards provided for in the Agreement.

• The ABACC and the IAEA shall reach independent conclusions.

• The ABACC and the IAEA shall avoid unnecessary duplication of safeguards activities.

A CLOSE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE IAEA AND THE ABACC TO AVOID UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS AND TO REACH INDEPENDENT CONCLUSIONS IS MANDATORY.

Joint Use Procedures for Common Use of Equipment

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• These procedures were introduced to enhance the safeguards cost effectiveness reducing the burden on the operator and ensuring the integrity of data.

• Free access to the data is assured for ABACC or IAEA inspectors.

• The analysis of inspection data is carried out independently by each organization at headquarters.

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Developing mutual trust and confidence between Brazil and Argentina in the nuclear sector

2005Joint Declaration of Nuclear Policy

The Presidents of Brazil and Argentina reiterated their commitments to the joint declarations on Nuclear Policy, commencing with the 1985 Foz do Iguaçu declaration, and reasserted the importance of the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials and that of the common system for the verification of nuclear programs, as a mechanism for boosting mutual confidence and transparency.

Puerto Iguazú, 30th November 2005.

PRESIDENTIAL SUMMITSAN JUAN, ARGENTINA, Aug. 2010

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• Destacaron la aplicacíon satisfactoria, desde hace más de quince años, de salvaguardias completas, de forma independiente, por al ABACC y por la OIEA. Afirmaron, en ese sentido, que la ABACC há prestado una contribuición única al régimen internacional de no proliferación, que debe ser plenamente reconocida mediante el fomento de la cooperación y del acceso libre de la Argentina y de Brasil a las tecnologías sensibles em el campo de los usos pacíficos de la energía nuclear. En este sentido, decidieron que la ABACC, cuyo sistema de salvaguardias constituye um pilar fundamental de la cooperación bilateral en materia nuclear, deberá ser constantemente perfeccionada y reforzada en sus funciones y objetivos;

PRESIDENTIAL SUMMITBuenos Aires, Jan. 2011

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• Reafirmar el objetivo de continuo perfeccionamiento y fortalecimiento de la Agencia Argentino-Brasileña de Contabilidad y Control de Materiales Nucleares (ABACC), e instruir al CPPN a examinar las ideas y propuestas surgidas en el grupo de trabajo creado con ese propósito.

ABACC’s STRUCTURE

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• Commission – 2 Argentine members – 2 Brazilian members

• Secretariat– Professional staff (12)– Auxiliary staff (5)– Inspectors (100)

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Attributions of the Commission

• Approve the General Procedures and Manuals on the Application of Nuclear Safeguards.

• Provide the necessary means for the ABACC Secretariat.• Notify the state parties of any irregularity which might

occur in the application of the SCCC.• Supervise the activities of the Secretariat, set guidelines

for its operation, appoint the professional and auxiliary staff and designate safeguard inspectors.

• Request the state parties for authorization to create ad-hoc groups of advisers in order to improve the implementation of the SCCC.

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Follow the guidelines established by the ABACC Commission.

Execute the activities which are necessary for applying and managing the SCCC, including the indication of inspectors, the analysis and evaluation of their reports, and giving notice to the Commission of any irregularity in the application of the SCCC.

Prepare the annual budget of ABACC to be submitted to the Commission.

Report its activities to the Commission.

Act as ABACC’s representative in its relations with the state parties as well as with third parties, by mandate of the Commission.

Secretariat: Attributions

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Secretariat: Main Activities

• Manage and apply the Common System of Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials in Argentina and Brazil.

• Appoint inspectors, perform and evaluate inspections and other procedures which are necessary for the application of the Common System of Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials – SCCC.

• Represent Argentina and Brazil vis-à-vis third parties with reference to the application of the SCCC.

• Sign international agreements with the express authorization of Argentina and Brazil.

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Organization of the Secretariat

Planning and evaluation

Operations

Accounting of nuclear materials

Technical support

Institutional relations

Management and finances

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Planning and Evaluation

• Plan and develop safeguard approaches and criteria to be applied in cooperation with the IAEA.

• Evaluate the fulfillment of the safeguard goals by both countries.

• Evaluate the diversion of nuclear material scenarios and establish adequate counter-measures.

• Develop procedures for joint inspections for ABACC and IAEA.

• Analyze and evaluate the Design Information Questionnaires and their associated documents.

Operations

Plan and coordinate safeguard inspections performed in

Argentina and in Brazil.

Coordinate with the National Authorities and the IAEA the

planning and execution of inspections.

Prepare and evaluate the inspectors for the application of

safeguards.

Update the ABACC Operations database.

Cooperate with other sectors of ABACC to prepare

safeguard approaches for nuclear facilities.

Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials

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Account for the nuclear materials in Argentina and Brazil.

Process, evaluate and forward to the IAEA the accounting information received from the National Authorities.

Evaluate the results of inspection activities with respect to the accounting information.

Verify, follow up and clarify any discrepancies in the accounting information.

Develop computerized systems and provide for personal training to perform adequately nuclear accounting activities.

Develop safe communication procedures for the accounting information of Argentina and Brazil.

Technical Support

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Coordinate the necessary analyses for safeguard application.

Identify, purchase, assemble, calibrate, install and provide for the maintenance of equipment and materials.

Prepare the safeguard equipment for use during inspections.

Organize the training of ABACC and IAEA inspectors.

Coordinate the development of new equipment and methodologies to be used by ABACC or in collaboration with the IAEA.

Institutional Relations

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Assist the ABACC Secretariat in its communication strategies and relations with other organizations, the public and the press.

Plan, coordinate and edit the publications of ABACC.

Update, maintain and coordinate the website and the intranet of ABACC.

Monitor the elaboration of the cooperation agreements involving ABACC.

Provide for the maintenance of the privileges and immunities of ABACC and its staff.

Management and Finance

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• Manage the operational activities of ABACC. 

• Manage ABACC personnel.

• Deal with the finances of ABACC, including its Annual Balance.

 • Provide the necessary information for the

Annual Auditing Report.

Excerpt from ABACC´s BYLAWS, article 19.

I swear solemnly … do not request or accept instructions with

respect to the fulfillment of my duties, neither from any

Government nor any Authority other than ABACC.

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Information Confidentiality

ABACC is not allowed to disclose industrial, commercial

or any confidential information regarding the facilities and

features of the nuclear programs of Argentina and Brazil

without the express consent of the parties.

ABACC InspectorateNumber of years in the field

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Inspectors :Specialization Level

Inspectors Effort / day

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1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Argentina Brasil Total

ABACC BudgetHistorical Evolution

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1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

YEAR

US

DO

LL

AR

S

Technical Cooperation with foreign organizations

• With the DOE(agreement in force since April 1994)

• With Euratom(agreement in force since February 1999)

• With the IAEA(agreement in force since May 1998)

• With the KINAC (former TCNC/KAERI)(arrangement in force since January 2000)

• Cooperation without formal agreement:

– with the Commissariat à L’Energie Atomique (CEA), France.

– with the Nuclear Material Control Center (NMCC), Japan.

Areas / Fields of Cooperation

• Training (inspectors & personnel).

• Safeguards techniques and equipment development:

– unattended measurement systems and remote monitoring;

– environmental sampling;

– containment and surveillance.

– 3D laser for DIV

• Intercomparison of laboratories and analytical results:

– DA & NDA;

– High Performance Trace Analysis (HPTA).

Areas / Fields of Cooperation

• Procurement, characterization and use of standards nuclear material.

• Information treatment and management.

• Material accountancy and data transmission.

• Development of safeguards documents, criteria and guidelines.

• Approaches for facilities such as: enrichment plants, CANDU reactors, fabrication facilities.

• Role of the Regional Safeguards Systems and interaction with the SSAC and the IAEA systems.

Regional systems enhancing safeguards

• A regional organization presents the advantage of controlling a small universe of facilities and material.

• It is not required to follow universal standard procedures as requested in an international system.

• Mutual inspection system implemented by the ABACC makes it possible to profit from the best professional expertise available in each of the two countries.

• Can reduce strongly the costs involved in safeguards implementation.

MAJOR GOALS ACCOMPLISHED BY ABACC ON APPLYING SAFEGUARDS IN ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL

a) Implementation of a full-scope safeguards system for all nuclear

materials and nuclear activities in Argentina and Brazil.

b) Application of safeguards in uranium enrichment plants.

c) Coordination between ABACC and the IAEA while applying safeguards.

d) Safeguards application under the frame of the Quadripartite Agreement (preserving technological and commercial sensitive information).

PRESENT SITUATION

• The role of ABACC and its international recognition may be attributed, among other considerations, to the following:

• a) Technical competence of ABACCTechnical competence is a key element in order to have a credible system. ABACC always paid special attention to maintain technical competence at all levels, including staff members, inspectors, consultants, auxiliary laboratories and so on. Proper maintenance and upgrading of equipment is also necessary.

• b) International credibility

ABACC is considered as a highly credible organization in the nuclear safeguards and non proliferation field.

• Its professional behavior convinced the other parties in such an area, mainly the IAEA, of the independence, respectability and reliability of its managing of the Common System of Accounting and Control (in Spanish, SCCC).

• c) The efficient and effective way of performing its duties, as reflected in the following slides:

ABACC in the press

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Non-Proliferation and Iran: Lessons from Latin AmericaBy Samuel Greene

APPLYING ABACC EXPERIENCES TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA:POSSIBILITIES AND ACTION PLANSSeongwhun Cheon, Senior Research Fellow,Korea Institute for National Unification

Brazil Sí, Iran No. Through a process of accountability, Brazil has won world community's trust. By Ludwig De Braeckeleer

ABACC in the press

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A REGIONAL MODEL OF CONFIDENCE BUILDING FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY IN ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL

Clovis Brigagão and Marcelo F. Valle Fonrouge

ABACC in the press

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Politics of the Bomb: Exploring the Role of Epistemic Communities in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Outcomes

Ph.D. Thesis, Political Science Dep., UCL

October, 2010.

ABACC: the Bilateral Safeguards System’s Roles in the

Global Processes of Nuclear Non-Proliferation.

Global Consortium on Security Transformation

Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament Group

Final Repport, Jan, 2011

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...in Safeguards: Past, Present and Future, Fisher, David-IAEA Publications, Oct, 2010:

“...the same regime would apply to the ABACC and to any regional safeguards system established in the Middle East or South Asia and perhaps eventually in countries where there are effective nationa SSACs”

and

“...there is no doubts about the political effectiveness of the concept neighbours watching neighbours”

July 18th, 2011

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Thank you!

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Website: www.abacc.org.br

Email: odilon@abacc.org.br