A Comparison of GAO and Executive Branch Positions

Gao ID: ID-77-7 January 6, 1977

A comparison was made of an Administration policy statement on nuclear proliferation with a GAO Report "Assessment of U.S. and International Controls over the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy," ID-76-60. There was general agreement on the need for more effective controls to curb nuclear weapons proliferation, but the executive branch response did not indicate plans for action on specific GAO recommendations. Recommendations in the GAO report were designed to strengthen U.S. agreements for cooperation, upgrade nuclear safeguards, control exports, and guide future U.S. strategy.

Although the Administration statement took a positive approach by directing negotiations that would bring existing agreements into conformity with international and new U.S. criteria, the statement was not specific enough. The Administration supported recommendations for upgrading safeguards, but disagreed with the need for some of the procedures for inspection evaluation and monitoring. The Administration agreed with the need for export controls, but legislation to this effect was not enacted.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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