HEU-Free: From the Caribbean to Uzbekistan

You wouldn’t think there’s a lot in common between the Caribbean and Uzbekistan. One is a balmy, breezy region of island paradises; the other is a landlocked, rugged country of deserts and mountains.

But they do have one thing in common: in the last week, both demonstrated a commitment to global security by getting rid of the last of their highly-enriched uranium. The IAEA certified this week that all HEU has been removed from Uzbekistan, and last week, the National Nuclear Security Administration removed the last kilogram of HEU from Jamaica to make the Caribbean yet another region where HEU is nowhere to be found.

Image credit: IAEA Flickr

HEU—highly-enriched uranium—is one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. Not only is it extremely radioactive, it’s also one of the primary ingredients for a nuclear weapon. That’s why it’s so important for our world leaders to make sure that all of it is secure—the central theme of the 5 Priorities.

And when countries like Uzbekistan or regions like the Caribbean go completely HEU-free, that’s a step in the right direction on Priority #5, which aims to reduce the risk by taking the most dangerous materials—HEU and plutonium—out of the hands of civilians entirely, and reducing military stockpiles of those materials as well.

Find out how you can help us challenge our leaders to come to an agreement in 2016 that will make it possible for many more regions of the world to join the Caribbean and Uzbekistan by going completely HEU-free.