Strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at stopping spread of weapons of mass destruction

Obama promotes 2010 summit that includes Proliferation Security Initiative

Updated: Friday, October 30th, 2009 | By Robert Farley

In a speech in Prague on April 5, President Barack Obama reiterated his intent to strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative to stop the black-market spread of weapons of mass destruction.

"We must also build on our efforts to break up black markets, detect and intercept materials in transit, and use financial tools to disrupt this dangerous trade," Obama said. "Because this threat will be lasting, we should come together to turn efforts such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism into durable international institutions. And we should start by having a Global Summit on Nuclear Security that the United States will host within the next year."

In July, leaders of the G-8, a group of the world's advanced countries, endorsed Obama's vision. "We maintain our support for the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which plays an important part in preventing and countering proliferation of WMD, their delivery systems and related materials," the group said in a statement. "We recognize the progress in combating the financing of proliferation activities, and the role of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)."

The Global Summit on Nuclear Security that Obama talked about in his April speech has been set for March 2010. We'll have to wait until then to get a better idea whether Obama will fulfill this promise. But Obama has clearly set this one in motion, enough to warrant a rating of In the Works.

Sources:

White House Web site, press release: "Addressing the Nuclear Threat: Fulfilling the Promise of Prague at the L’Aquila Summit," July 8, 2009

Time, "Signs At Obama's Speech in Prague," by Michael Scherer, April 5, 2009

G8 Web site, L'Aquila Statement on Non-Proliferation, July 2009