Perception of Effectiveness of International Safeguards

The effectiveness of any activity is judged in terms of perceived performance relative to what is considered to be adequate accomplishment of the purposes of the activity. Performance must be evaluated over some period of time — a stated interval, the recent past, or since the beginning. Since no diversions have been detected, and so far as is known none has been attempted, performance of international safeguards is itself intangible and subjective. Who can say what diversions have been deterred, or what value is to be placed on the international cooperation and understanding that has allowed world nuclear commerce to develop?