Analysis of the trends on minimization of proliferation risk

Suda, Kazunori ; Shimizu, Ryo ; Tazaki, Makiko ; Tamai, Hiroshi ; Kitade, Yuta 

Since India's nuclear explosion in 1974, there has been continued discussion on nuclear non-proliferation. At first, to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons, the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation (INFCE) was established to discuss reprocessing, plutonium handling, and so on. After that, to respond to the threat of proliferation posed by DPRK, the international community desired to further enhance nuclear non-proliferation by strengthening the IAEA safeguards system. In recent years, some researchers at universities and national laboratories are studying proliferation resistance from the standpoint of nuclear materials that may be inherently self-protecting. This paper discusses minimization of proliferation risk and future prospects based on alternative measures for reprocessing, plutonium handling, and recycling described in INFCE-WG4.