Integrated safeguards: How much flexibility is possible, and acceptable?

The advent of the Additional Protocol (INFCIRC/540) introduces amongst other things the opportunity for the IAEA to exercise greater flexibility and expert judgment in the planning and conduct of safeguards inspections and other verification activities. Performing in parallel the full range of both classical safeguards measures and safeguards strengthening measures would result in substantial redundancy - the realisation of this has prompted the development of integrated safeguards. In considering the degree of flexibility that might be incorporated in the implementation of integrated safeguards, key questions include: how much flexibility in safeguards implementation are Member States prepared to allow the Agency, and how much flexibility is the Secretariat prepared to apply? Practical resolution of these challenges will be demanding, and the Secretariat may require Member States' support in this regard. The sooner these issues are addressed and successfully resolved, the sooner the full potential of integrated safeguards can be realised. (author)