Countries with only small quantities of nuclear materials may prefer to sign a Small Quantities Protocol, rather than a comprehensive safeguards agreement. Under a small quantities protocol, a state may have fewer safeguards obligations to safeguard the nuclear materials that they may have in possession for research or medical purposes.  

"As a means to minimize the burden of safeguards activities in those CSA States with little or no nuclear activities, an SQP was introduced by the IAEA in the early 1970s. In 2005, the IAEA Board of Governors, as a safeguards strengthening measure, approved a modified text of the Small Quantities Protocols (SQP)."

Status of Small Quantities Protocols

Source: IAEA