Pages 9-11 from FCO 66910 - Nuclear Suppliers Group; Policy 1977

The document is a confidential briefing on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for the Parliamentary Under-Secretary and Ambassador designate to the CCD (Conference on Disarmament). It highlights the increasing danger of nuclear proliferation due to the expansion of nuclear power worldwide. The sensitive areas of the nuclear fuel cycle, such as heavy water production, uranium enrichment, and fuel reprocessing, are of concern as more developing countries express interest in these areas. The document mentions that exports are currently subject to safeguards administered by the IAEA, but non-NPT parties have less rigorous safeguards compared to NPT parties. To address this, the US invited the UK, USSR, Canada, Japan, PRG, and France to establish the NSG to coordinate nuclear export policies. The NSG has produced guidelines for nuclear transfers and a report on physical protection. The Group's work has helped coordinate the export policies of major supplier governments and brought France in line with non-proliferation efforts. The document mentions the hope to publish the Group's main documents after a review of the guidelines. It also discusses future membership and the image of the Group, considering the inclusion of technologically advanced countries and major uranium suppliers, as well as associating leading developing countries. However, there are challenges to further enlargement and openness, and the document suggests addressing North/South aspects in future meetings. The briefing was prepared by the Arms Control and Disarmament Department in January 1977.