The world is in the midst of a nuclear-energy revival and needs to establish international safety guidelines, according to the former deputy secretary-general of the United Nations.
Louise Frechette, a longtime Canadian diplomat and a distinguished fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, will give a lecture Monday on nuclear energy in Waterloo, Ont., on a host of issues facing the controversial energy source, such as international terrorism and aging infrastructure.
Frechette said she hopes world leaders keep nuclear energy on the agenda at upcoming international summits. This month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his counterparts will converge in Washington to discuss nuclear proliferation. It will also be one of the topics at the upcoming G8 Summit.
Frechette said world leaders needs to put aside business and political interests for international safety.
"If you take the question of protection of nuclear material against terrorist attacks, I don't think it's so much ... a lack of political will but a lack of definition of what it is that needs to be done," she said. "But with many more countries gaining access to nuclear weapons, that could give another boost to international cooperation. We can't wait until there is another Chernobyl to act."
In April 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine malfunctioned, exposing hundreds of thousands of people to high levels of radioactivity. The incident, considered the largest power-plant accident in history, resulted in at least 56 direct deaths and an undetermined number of related deaths. The accident was attributed to a flawed reactor design and improperly trained staff, two constant worries as nuclear energy spreads to developing countries.
And then there's Iran, a country that claims its nuclear ambitions are peaceful despite continued sabre-rattling with the United States, Israel and Europe.
"Political considerations serve to explain (why) countries like Russia and China (are) less willing to impose sanctions on Iran, while others favour a tougher line," Frechette said. "Time is running out and we need to make sure nuclear technology does not get into the wrong hands."