Summit attendees pass treaty to continue mission of nuclear talks

At least 102 nations have ratified a key treaty at the Nuclear Security Summit that would make all signatories responsible for the safe transport and storage of all peaceful-use nuclear materials inside their borders and between their countries and other countries.

102 nations ratify treaty on nuclear materials.  Jessica Stone reports.

U.S. President Barack Obama said that he was confident the treaty would be enforced in the coming weeks.

The treaty would be a binding legal agreement called the 2005 amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and will be administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In addition to the national pledges for transport and storage of materials, the treaty also outlines methods of reporting and recovery in cases of suspected incidents of nuclear smuggling or theft.

Experts said that this is likely the best mechanism the summit has approved to continue the spirit of the summit, which closes Friday. Nations would have to gather every five years to revisit the terms.

In 1980, nations signed the initial Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. In 2005, a group of countries gathered to amend and strengthen the convention with legally binding protections, had yet to be approved by two-thirds of the original signatories.

Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material

Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, 2005 Amendment