Nuclear growth and proliferation issues

Nuclear energy is gaining increased interest worldwide, especially because of its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The expansion of nuclear power raises the issue of ensuring there is not a corresponding increase in the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. In fact, nuclear power in itself does not present a proliferation problem, but there is a need to address the spread of enrichment and reprocessing capabilities. International cooperation - in particular, the GNEP initiative - is furthering the establishment of new, proliferation-resistant fuel cycle technologies, together with new institutional arrangements to strengthen the non-proliferation regime. With the world's largest uranium reserves, Australia can expect to have a major influence in these developments