Niger Lawmakers Back Nuclear Material Protection

Nigerien lawmakers Saturday voted to implement the 1980 Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which sets standards for protecting enriched uranium and plutonium during transport, according to the Associated Press.

While the African country signed the treaty in 1985, it has not adopted it as national law, according to AP. Niger’s president has 15 days to either reject the bill calling for adherence to the treaty or sign it into law. Niger is the world’s third-largest producer of yellowcake uranium, which makes up the bulk of the country’s export earnings (Associated Press/CNN.com, May 15).

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