    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [September 4, 2007]
    [Page 1173]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Senate Transmitting an Amendment to the Convention on the
    Physical Protection of Nuclear Material
    September 4, 2007

    To the Senate of the United States:
        I transmit herewith for Senate advice and consent to ratification
    the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
    Material (the ``Amendment''). A conference of States Parties to the
    Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, adopted on
    October 28, 1979, adopted the Amendment on July 8, 2005, at the
    International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. I transmit also, for the
    information of the Senate, the Department of State report on the
    Amendment. Legislation necessary to implement the Amendment will be
    submitted to the Congress separately.
        The Amendment contains specific provisions to effect a coordinated
    international response to combating and preventing nuclear terrorism and
    ensuring global security. It will require each State Party to the
    Amendment to establish, implement, and maintain an appropriate physical
    protection regime applicable to nuclear material and nuclear facilities
    used for peaceful purposes. The aims of the regime are to protect such
    material against theft or other unlawful taking, to locate and rapidly
    recover missing or stolen material, to protect such material and
    facilities against sabotage, and to mitigate or minimize the
    radiological consequences of sabotage. The Amendment also provides a
    framework for cooperation among States Parties directed at preventing
    nuclear terrorism and ensuring punishment of offenders; contains
    provisions for protecting sensitive physical protection information; and
    adds new criminal offenses that each State Party must make punishable by
    law. States Parties must also either submit for prosecution or extradite
    any person within their jurisdictions alleged to have committed one of
    the offenses defined in the Convention, as amended.
        This Amendment is important in the campaign against international
    nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation. I recommend, therefore,
    that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to this
    Amendment, subject to the understandings described in the accompanying
    report of the Department of State.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     September 4, 2007.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    September 6.