President, Goodluck Jonathan
By Chineme Okafor
Nigeria’s president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, will be joined by over 50 heads of state and sundry related international organisations to advance discussions on how to make the world safe from nuclear and radiological terrorism.
Accordingly, Jonathan is one of five African presidents invited by organisers of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit scheduled to take place on March 26 and 27 in the South Korean city of Seoul where issues affecting practical measures to strengthen nuclear security and safety will be discussed.
Other African countries expected to be represented at the summit by their presidents, are: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. The United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, China, Japan and Brazil are equally among other nations that will be joined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), European Union, United Nations and Interpol at the summit.
The summit which is the second in its series coming almost a year after the Fukushima Daiishi nuclear disaster in Japan will seek among other things, advance global shared objectives in nuclear disarmament, nuclear proliferation as well as peaceful and safe use of nuclear energy, and security of employing nuclear power as a viable source of energy.
Its first edition was hosted by US President Barack Obama in Washington D.C from April 12 to 13, 2010.
While addressing the press Wednesday in Abuja on the expected outcome of the summit, the South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jong-Hyun Choi, said that the summit is an extension of global undertaking on peaceful use of nuclear power to satisfy the increasing global energy demand.
He explained that South Korea was aware of the potential threats from its neighbour, North Korea, hence the need to convene the second edition of the summit which will interface between nuclear security and safety, at the same time renew pledge to the principles of the Washington summit.
Some of the key outcomes from the Seoul summit as enumerated by the Ambassador include, the reaffirmation and consolidation of the political will generated at the 2010 Washington nuclear security summit, assessment and advancement of the implementation commitments made at Washington by global leaders while securing further commitments by the adoption of the ‘Seoul Commitment’.
Other objectives of the summit will include a contribution to the realisation of key objectives of nuclear security as will be identified and agreed at the Seoul summit.
“It is important that I mention that my country has a good track record in hosting such huge events as evidenced in some recent events that we have successfully hosted. This conference is important to us because South Korea is always interested in furthering international peace and security,” the Ambassador noted.
He explained, “The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Beyond Security Towards Peace’, a new chapter in the history of nuclear security will begin in Seoul when we will be working towards a world free of nuclear terrorism.”