The International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) was established by the IAEA in 1995. It is a fundamental part of the IAEA’s efforts to assist States, upon request, to establish and maintain an effective national nuclear security regime to protect against the unauthorised removal of nuclear and other radioactive material, and the sabotage of nuclear and other associated facilities, as well as material during transport, while recognising that the ultimate responsibility for physical protection lies with the State.
IPPAS provides peer review on implementing relevant international instruments, in particular the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), together with the 2005 Amendment, and on implementing the IAEA Nuclear Security Series of guidance publications, specifically the Fundamentals and Recommendations.
IPPAS missions assess a Member State’s existing procedures and practices with the obligations specified under the CPPNM and the 2005 Amendment, and guidelines in IAEA Nuclear Security Series publications.
As with IRRS missions, an IPPAS mission to the UK is requested by UK government. It is conducted by a team of experienced international nuclear security experts, selected by the IAEA, with the UK providing secretarial and administrative support.
Scope of the mission is modular; the current set of five modules is:
- National review of nuclear security regime for nuclear material and nuclear facilities;
- Nuclear facility review;
- Transport review;
- Security of radioactive material and associated facilities and activities; and
- Information and computer security review.
Findings are reflected in the mission report, which is highly confidential and is addressed to the UK Government.
The UK was the first weapons state to receive an IPPAS mission in 2011 and the first to request a follow-up mission in 2016, focussing primarily on actions taken to address the recommendations and suggestions from the 2011 mission.
ONR supports and regularly contributes team leaders and experts to lead or participate in IPPAS Missions to other countries. This promotes the identification and promotion of good practices and facilitates mutual learning. It allows comparisons to be made between nations to improve security. It seeks to improve standards internationally, and benchmark our own standards by collaborating with and learning from other regulators.