International Legal Regulation Protecting Against Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism

Abstract

This article deals with the problem of terrorist misuse of nuclear and
radiological weapons and materials. The author first describes the
circumstances leading to the general increase in terrorist threat after 1999.
She then explores the main forms of nuclear and radiological terrorism,
using accomplished and attempted attacks as examples. The main part of
the article focuses on the question of the current international legal
regulation preventing and repressing nuclear and radiological terrorism
and on the analysis of relevant documents (universal international treaties
and UN Security Council resolutions). After this, it presents an overview of
the International Atomic Energy Agency's activities in this field. Finally, the
author identifies, more generally, the main features of the current
international legal regulation protecting against nuclear and radiological
terrorism, and the trends characterising its evolution.