Chair's Corner

  Chair banner Brazil 

Dear Visitor,
Thank you for your interest in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and welcome to the recently updated NSG Website.

The NSG is a group of forty-eight nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. The aim of the NSG Guidelines is to ensure that nuclear trade for peaceful purposes does not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and that international trade and cooperation in the nuclear field is not hindered unjustly in the process. The Guidelines and additional information on the NSG, including the results of recent Plenary Meetings and an IAEA Information Circular document titled “The Nuclear Suppliers Group: Its Guidelines, Origins, Structure, and Role”, (INFCIRC/539 rev. 8)can be found on this website. You will also find good practices documents including the recently added “NSG Awareness Raising Document” in the “National Practices” section, which provides insight and information on the importance of responsible nuclear supplier behaviour and effective export controls.

Effective export controls are recognised as important for non-proliferation, positively promoting and enabling legitimate trade and investment, while avoiding undue trade restrictions. This shift from "why are export controls necessary" several decades ago to "how to implement, improve and maintain effective export controls and non-proliferation policy" is a source of great encouragement for this important Group.

It is an honour for Brazil to undertake the responsibility of chairing for the second time this crucial export control regime, which plays a vital role in the entire non-proliferation system. I look forward to building on my predecessors' work to advance the Group's goals.

In this regard, I would like to express my appreciation to Ambassador Gustavo Ainchil, the previous NSG Chair, for leading a successful Plenary Week in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 10 to 14 July 2023.

The Group continues to maintain a focus on technical issues important to the implementation of the NSG Control Lists by exchanging views and agreeing on several proposals to clarify and update the Trigger List and Dual-Use List. In the "Guidelines" section of this website, you will find the updated NSG Part 1 and Part 2 Guidelines as agreed in Buenos Aires and an explanation of the changes. As noted in the same section, the consolidated changes (three Plenary Meeting decisions) will be sent to the IAEA in 2025 for official publication as part of the INFCIRC series (INFCIRC/254 Part 1 and Part 2) in accordance with established NSG practice.

The NSG calls consistently on all nuclear supplier States to express their responsible approach to nuclear exports by adhering to the NSG Guidelines. We continue to recognise and welcome that numerous states, far beyond the NSG participants, aligned their national export control systems with the NSG Guidelines and Control Lists.

As NSG Chair, I further acknowledge the importance of engagement with non-NSG participants and express my appreciation for the ongoing efforts of the previous NSG Chair in maintaining contacts with outreach partners.
Our annual Plenary meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on national practices focused on raising awareness and on tools designed for engagement with the industry and research institutions working in the nuclear field. We also exchanged information on all aspects of the 2008 Statement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation with India.

Participating Governments also reiterated their appreciation to Japan for the support of its Permanent Mission to the UN in Vienna in fulfilling the duties of the NSG Point of Contact, which is crucial for the appropriate functioning of the Group.

As Chair, I wish to reaffirm the significance of updating the NSG Guidelines to fulfill NSG’s vital role in the non-proliferation architecture and keep pace with the rapidly evolving nuclear and nuclear-related industry. I intend to further NSG engagement with industry, especially SMEs, during my tenure as Chair. In our rapidly evolving technological landscape, the NSG has underscored the need for strengthened ties through outreach and dialogue with the private sector, recognising that self-regulation and engagement are essential to keep pace with these advancements.

The primary objective of NSG outreach activities is to cultivate robust and enduring relationships with outreach partners. This includes fostering a deeper understanding of the NSG Guidelines, encouraging adherence to them and facilitating an open dialogue on matters of mutual interest and concern in nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear export controls, and civil nuclear cooperation. Building on my predecessor's efforts, our outreach strategy will continue to facilitate contacts with countries implementing the NSG Guidelines and countries that have expressed interest in further engagement.

Having devoted many years of my career dealing with the energy field, I am particularly attentive to the challenges before us: growing energy demand, rising prices affecting energy access, and the need to address climate change by decarbonising our economies. This context has helped build momentum for nuclear, as countries around the world are showing renewed interest in nuclear energy as a low-carbon source, which includes the development of new technologies, such as Small and Medium Reactors (SMRs).

Brazil's nuclear sector faithfully adheres to the stringent standards of export controls and responsible supplier behaviour, as embodied by the NSG's Guidelines. As a responsible vendor of nuclear technology for peaceful uses, Brazil, as a developing country, believes that the best practices outlined in the NSG Guidelines enable nations desiring to cultivate peaceful nuclear energy programmes access to secure modern nuclear technologies. This can be achieved best when aligned with nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

As NSG Chair, I will keep working with Participating Governments to ensure we continue the NSG's valuable work in the spirit of constructive multilateralism, focusing on the Group's pivotal role in the overall nuclear non-proliferation system, where the NPT remains the cornerstone.

Thank you for your interest in reading and learning about the NSG.

 

Claudia Vieira Santos
Ambassador (Brazil)
Chair of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (2023-2024)