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Nuclear Terrorism Convention

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Nuclear Terrorism Convention
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism
TypeAnti-terrorism, international criminal law
Drafted13 April 2005
Signed14 September 2005 (2005-09-14)
LocationNew York City, United States
Effective7 July 2007
Condition22 ratifications
Signatories115
Parties124
DepositaryUnited Nations Secretary-General
LanguagesArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish

The Nuclear Terrorism Convention (formally, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism) is a 2005 United Nations treaty designed to criminalize acts of nuclear terrorism and to promote police and judicial cooperation to prevent, investigate and punish those acts. As of January 2024, the convention has 115 signatories and 127 state parties, including the nuclear powers China, France, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[1] Most recently, Ecuador ratified the convention on January 19, 2024.[2]

The Convention covers a broad range of acts and possible targets, including nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors; covers threats and attempts to commit such crimes or to participate in them, as an accomplice; stipulates that offenders shall be either extradited or prosecuted; encourages States to cooperate in preventing terrorist attacks by sharing information and assisting each other in connection with criminal investigations and extradition proceedings; and, deals with both crisis situations, assisting States to solve the situations and post-crisis situations by rendering nuclear material safe through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In April 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the draft International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism by consensus as Resolution A/RES/59/290 during its 91st plenary meeting. Prior to that, negotiations were conducted through sessions of an Ad Hoc Working Group and the Legal (Sixth) Committee from 1999 to 2005—spanning the fifty‑fourth to fifty‑ninth General Assembly sessions—to finalize the text.

Following adoption, the Convention was opened for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 14 September 2005 until 31 December 2006 in accordance with Article 24. It formally entered into force on 7 July 2007, which occurred 30 days after the deposit of the twenty‑second instrument of ratification in line with Article 25(1) of the Convention.

Definition of the crime of nuclear terrorism

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Source:[3]

The Convention defines offences as committed when a person unlawfully and intentionally engages in specific conduct involving radioactive material or nuclear facilities. This includes any person who possesses radioactive material or makes or possesses a device either with an intention to cause harm to human beings or to the environment. It further criminalizes any person who misuses radioactive material or poses a threat to any nuclear facility. The provisions of the convention establish a clear threshold of criminal liability based on both the unlawfulness of the conduct and the presence of specific harmful intents.

The Convention clearly defines its limits. It does not override existing international laws, especially those under the UN Charter or international humanitarian law. It also does not apply to the conduct of armed forces during armed conflict or to official military duties by State forces, as long as those actions are already covered by other international legal rules. Importantly, this exclusion doesn’t mean such acts are automatically lawful—they can still be prosecuted under other applicable laws. The Convention also avoids taking any position on whether the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons by States is legal. Overall, it works within existing international legal frameworks without changing the legal status of military actions or nuclear weapons.

States parties

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As of May 2024, 124 states are parties to the convention.[4]

State party Signed Accessed Entry into force
Afghanistan 29 December 2005 25 March 2013 24 April 2013
Albania 23 November 2005 21 August 2023 20 September 2023
Algeria — 3 March 2011 2 April 2011
Antigua and Barbuda — 1 December 2009 31 December 2009
Argentina 14 September 2005 8 April 2016 8 May 2016
Armenia 15 September 2005 22 September 2010 22 October 2010
Australia 14 September 2005 16 March 2012 15 April 2012
Austria 15 September 2005 14 September 2006 7 July 2007
Azerbaijan 15 September 2005 28 January 2009 27 February 2009
Bahrain — 4 May 2010 3 June 2010
Bangladesh — 7 June 2007 7 July 2007
Belarus 15 September 2005 13 March 2007 7 July 2007
Belgium 14 September 2005 2 October 2009 1 November 2009
Benin 15 September 2005 2 November 2017 2 December 2017
Bosnia and Herzegovina 7 December 2005 29 June 2017 29 July 2017
Botswana — 12 July 2021 12 July 2021
Brazil 16 September 2005 25 September 2009 25 October 2009
Burundi 29 March 2006 24 September 2008 24 October 2008
Canada 14 September 2005 21 November 2013 21 December 2013
Central African Republic — 19 February 2008 20 March 2008
Chile 22 September 2005 27 September 2010 20 March 2008
China[A] 14 September 2005 8 November 2010 8 December 2010
Comoros — 12 March 2007 7 July 2007
Congo 14 November 2023 14 December 2023
Costa Rica 15 September 2005 21 February 2013 23 March 2013
Côte d'Ivoire — 12 March 2012 11 April 2012
Croatia 16 September 2005 30 May 2007 7 July 2007
Cuba — 17 June 2009 17 July 2009
Cyprus 15 September 2005 28 January 2008 27 February 2008
Czech Republic 15 September 2005 25 July 2006 7 July 2007
Congo, Democratic Republic of the — 23 September 2010 23 October 2010
Denmark[B] 14 September 2005 20 March 2007 7 July 2007
Djibouti 14 June 2006 25 April 2014 25 May 2014
Dominican Republic — 11 June 2008 11 July 2008
El Salvador 16 September 2005 27 November 2006 7 July 2007
Fiji — 15 May 2008 14 June 2008
Finland 14 September 2005 13 January 2009 12 February 2009
France 14 September 2005 11 September 2013 11 October 2013
Gabon 15 September 2005 1 October 2007 31 October 2007
Georgia — 23 April 2010 23 May 2010
Germany 15 September 2005 8 February 2008 9 March 2008
Guatemala 20 September 2005 26 September 2018 25 October 2018
Guinea-Bissau — 6 August 2008 5 September 2008
Hungary 14 September 2005 12 April 2007 7 July 2007
India 24 July 2006 1 December 2006 7 July 2007
Indonesia — 30 September 2014 30 October 2014
Iraq — 13 May 2013 12 June 2013
Italy 14 September 2005 21 October 2016 20 November 2016
Jamaica 5 December 2006 27 December 2013 26 January 2014
Japan 15 September 2005 3 August 2007 2 September 2007
Jordan 16 November 2005 29 January 2016 28 February 2016
Kazakhstan 16 September 2005 31 July 2008 2 September 2007
Kenya 15 September 2005 13 April 2006 7 July 2007
Kiribati 15 September 2005 26 September 2008 26 October 2008
Korea, South 16 September 2005 29 May 2014 28 June 2014
Kuwait 16 September 2005 5 September 2013 5 October 2013
Kyrgyzstan 5 May 2006 2 October 2007 1 November 2007
Latvia 16 September 2005 25 July 2006 7 July 2007
Lebanon 23 September 2005 13 November 2006 7 July 2007
Lesotho 16 September 2005 22 September 2010 22 October 2010
Libya 16 September 2005 22 December 2008 21 January 2009
Liechtenstein 16 September 2005 25 September 2009 21 January 2009
Lithuania 16 September 2005 19 July 2007 18 August 2007
Luxembourg 15 September 2005 2 October 2008 1 November 2008
Madagascar 15 September 2005 15 February 2017 17 March 2017
Malawi — 7 October 2009 6 November 2009
Mali — 5 November 2009 5 December 2009
Malta 15 September 2005 26 September 2012 26 October 2012
Mauritania — 28 April 2008 28 May 2008
Mexico 12 January 2006 27 June 2006 7 July 2007
Moldova 16 September 2005 18 April 2008 18 May 2008
Mongolia 3 November 2005 6 October 2006 7 July 2007
Montenegro 23 October 2006 13 February 2019 15 March 2019
Morocco 19 April 2006 31 March 2010 30 April 2010
Namibia — 2 September 2016 2 October 2016
Nauru — 24 August 2010 23 September 2010
Netherlands 16 September 2005 30 June 2010 30 July 2010
New Zealand[C] 14 September 2005 18 March 2016 17 April 2016
Nicaragua 15 September 2005 25 February 2009 27 March 2009
Niger — 2 July 2008 1 August 2008
Nigeria — 25 September 2012 25 October 2012
North Macedonia 16 September 2005 19 March 2007 7 July 2007
Norway 16 September 2005 20 February 2014 22 March 2014
Oman — 21 October 2022 20 November 2022
Palau 15 September 2005 19 January 2024 18 February 2024
Panama 21 February 2006 21 June 2007 21 July 2007
Paraguay 16 September 2005 29 January 2009 28 February 2009
Peru 14 September 2005 29 May 2009 28 June 2009
Poland 14 September 2005 8 April 2010 8 May 2010
Portugal 21 September 2005 25 September 2014 25 October 2014
Qatar 16 February 2006 15 January 2014 14 February 2014
Romania 14 September 2005 24 January 2007 7 July 2007
Russia 14 September 2005 29 January 2007 7 July 2007
Saint Kitts and Nevis — 13 August 2020 11 September 2020
Saint Lucia — 12 November 2012 12 December 2012
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — 8 July 2010 7 August 2010
San Marino — 16 December 2014 15 January 2015
Saudi Arabia 26 December 2006 7 December 2007 6 January 2008
Serbia 15 September 2005 26 September 2006 7 July 2007
Singapore 1 December 2006 2 August 2017 1 September 2017
Slovakia 15 September 2005 23 March 2006 7 July 2007
Slovenia 14 September 2005 17 December 2009 16 January 2010
Solomon Islands — 24 September 2009 24 October 2009
South Africa 14 September 2005 9 May 2007 7 July 2007
Spain 14 September 2005 22 February 2007 7 July 2007
Sri Lanka 14 September 2005 27 September 2007 27 October 2007
State of Palestine 29 December 2017
Sweden 14 September 2005 18 August 2014 17 September 2014
 Switzerland 14 September 2005 15 October 2008 14 November 2008
Tajikistan 14 September 2005 29 June 2022 29 July 2022
Thailand 14 September 2005 2 May 2019 1 June 2019
Tunisia — 28 September 2010 28 October 2010
Turkey 14 September 2005 24 September 2012 24 October 2012
Turkmenistan — 28 March 2008 27 April 2008
Ukraine 14 September 2005 25 September 2007 25 October 2007
United Arab Emirates — 10 January 2008 9 February 2008
United Kingdom 14 September 2005 24 September 2009 24 October 2009
United States 14 September 2005 30 September 2015 30 October 2015
Uruguay 16 September 2005 4 March 2016 3 April 2016
Uzbekistan — 29 April 2008 29 May 2008
Vietnam — 27 September 2016 27 October 2016
Yemen — 13 October 2014 12 November 2014
Zambia — 7 April 2017 7 May 2017
Zimbabwe — 28 September 2023 28 October 2023

Signatories which are not parties

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The following states have signed, but not ratified, the convention.[5]

State Signed
Andorra 11 May 2006
Bulgaria 14 September 2005
Burkina Faso 21 September 2005
Cambodia 7 December 2006
Colombia 1 November 2006
East Timor 16 September 2005
Ecuador 15 September 2005
Egypt 20 September 2005
Estonia 14 September 2005
Eswatini 15 September 2005
Ghana 6 November 2006
Greece 15 September 2005
Guinea 16 September 2005
Guyana 15 September 2005
Iceland 16 September 2005
Ireland 15 September 2005
Israel 27 December 2006
Liberia 16 September 2005
Malaysia 16 September 2005
Mauritius 14 September 2005
Monaco 14 September 2005
Mozambique 1 May 2006
Philippines 15 September 2005
Rwanda 6 March 2006
São Tomé and Príncipe 19 December 2005
Senegal 21 September 2005
Seychelles 7 October 2005
Sierra Leone 14 September 2005
Syria 14 September 2005
Togo 15 September 2005

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ The Convention does not apply to Hong Kong.
  2. ↑ The Convention does not apply to the Faroe Islands or Greenland.
  3. ↑ The Convention does not apply to Tokelau.

References

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  1. ↑ Ratifications.
  2. ↑ "2025 UNODC Ecuador to Become the 127th State Party to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism". United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "International convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2010.
  4. ↑ "Disarmament Treaties Database: International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism". United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism". United Nations Treaty Collection. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.

Further reading

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