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In past decades, the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other agreements were signed in an effort to control the production, use, and transfer of WMDs and the materials and equipment used to produce them by state actors. But as their potential acquisition by non- state actors became a superseding concern, nations aside from the United States began to develop a plan for working together to keep these weapons out of the hands of terrorists.

In 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin took the initiative of launching the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT). With the goal of fostering international cooperation in order to prevent the acquisition of nuclear materials by terrorists, this voluntary international partnership has a membership of 86 nations and five international organizations. The GICNT works toward its goal by conducting multilateral activities that strengthen the plans, policies, and procedures of partner nations. 

All 86 member nations have committed to implementing the GICNT Statement of Principles (SOP). These security goals aim to develop and grow the partnership’s capacity for combatting nuclear terrorism through a number of means. Member nations pledge to do the following to help prevent proliferation of CBRN weapons by terrorists:

“Develop and improve accounting, control and physical security of nuclear and other radioactive materials and substances Improve and enhance security at civilian nuclear facilities; Improve the ability to detect nuclear and other radioactive materials in order toprevent illicit trafficking, including cooperation in the research and development of national detection capabilities that would be interoperable;  Improve capabilities to search for, confiscate, and establish safe control over unlawfully held nuclear or other radioactive materials and substances or devices using them; Prevent the provision of safe havento terrorists and

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In addition to its member nations, the GICNT also partners with five organizations with interests in nuclear proliferation: the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Union (EU), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International

The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) 

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