In April, the 28-member Nuclear Suppliers Group adopts stronger controls on nuclear exports, requiring comprehensive IAEA safeguards. The IAEA launches a four-year project with Russia and Norway to assess the effects of sea dumping of radioactive wastes in the Arctic Seas. The United States and Russia sign the second Strategic Arms Control Reduction Treaty (START-2); the two countries begin to dismantle surplus nuclear weapons. In North Korea, IAEA inspectors find “inconsistencies” from the analysis of samples and measurements from safeguards inspections, raising the question of whether the country has more plutonium than it declared to the Agency. IAEA seeks to resolve differences with authorities, to no avail, and the IAEA Board finds North Korea the country in non-compliance with its safeguards agreement.  North Korea in March announces its intention to withdraw from the NPT, then later suspends the move.  The Security Council backs the IAEA.   In South Africa, IAEA technical teams visit former nuclear weapon sites, following the government’s announcement that it abandoned its former nuclear-weapons programme before signing the NPT.  In Vienna, the IAEA Board begins consideration of a safeguards development programme called “93+2” to strengthen the effectiveness of safeguards and improve the system’s efficiency, including the capability to verify the absence or existence of undeclared nuclear activities.