The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism: Big Potential, Limited Impact?

The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) is an innovative, multi-pronged action aimed at enhancing the domestic capacities of a state, as well as its ability to interconnect internationally and to deal with the risk of a terrorist attack involving nuclear or radioactive materials. The GICNT, a joint US-Russian initiative, has now evolved into an informal network of over 70 countries. It pursues it objective of boosting the protection, detection, prosecution and response capabilities of a state by fostering cooperation on three levels: between a government and its agencies; between government and the private sector; and between like-minded states. Given its comprehensive approach to the nuclear terrorism threat, the initiative has great potential. Nevertheless, structural flaws such as the absence of any evaluation mechanism and the exclusion of military-related nuclear materials and sites are likely to make its impact far less global than expected.

Published also as: Riccardo Alcaro, Nicoletta Pirozzi, Natalino Ronzitti, "The Global Initiative and other multilateral initiatives and partnerships against nuclear terrorism", in Natalino Ronzitti (ed.), Coordinating Global and Regional Efforts to Combat WMD Terrorism, Roma, IAI, March 2009, p. 75-111 (IAI Quaderni English series 15).