1. Details on the Seminar / Conference:
Dates: December 2-4, 2008;
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany;
Name/address of host organization/institute: Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU), Karlsruhe, Germany.

2. Summary description of the seminar:
The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), in collaboration with the Institute of Transuranium Elements and the U.S. Department of State, plans to hold a workshop in Karlsruhe on December 2-4, 2008, on coordinating efforts to combat nuclear smuggling.

Nuclear forensics has become a priority of the international community, therefore cooperation between scientists and legal bodies working in this sphere has become indispensable to find vasious ways to counter illicit nuclear smuggling.

ISTC held its first seminar on Nuclear Forensics and Law Enforcement last year in Dushanbe, which gathered representatives of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, as well as Russia, USA, EU and Turkey. The seminar proved that the issues of legal provision of nuclear security require detailed investigation and in some cases improvements in order to harmonize the international and national procedures in this sphere. 

This workshop will bring together regional law enforcement bodies, nuclear regulatory officials and nuclear energy scientists, and provide an opportunity for these experts to discuss:
1) the basic principles of nuclear forensics;
2) the application of nuclear forensics into national response plans to nuclear/radioactive smuggling;
3) development of research projects related to improving their nuclear forensics capabilities. 

The seminar is divided in 3 parts:

I.Basic principles of nuclear forensics and its application
Law enforcement in the sphere of illicit nuclear smuggling
National response procedures for nuclear smuggling
International perspective of nuclear smuggling

II. National capabilities
Each participating countries will provide an overview of their national capabilities

III. Development of research projects
ISTC’s participation in the solution of problems referring to nuclear materials smuggling and nuclear forensics
Proposals on new ISTC projects in the sphere of nuclear forensics

The description of the seminar draft technical program:

1st Day
- general technical principles of nuclear forensics to give the participants a working knowledge of nuclear forensics standards as well as how it applies to combating nuclear smuggling;
- how nuclear forensics should be integrated into national nuclear smuggling response plans;
- scenario based exercise to “test” out the participants knowledge of how their country would respond generally and specifically to an incident of nuclear/radiological smuggling;
- to help the participants identify ways their countries may need to increase or improve their nuclear forensics capabilities and/or procedures. 

2 sessions are supposed to be held:

- Basic Principles and Role of Nuclear Forensics
- Application of Nuclear Forensics

2nd Day
- discussions on nuclear forensics cooperation, including current opportunities for nuclear forensics cooperation: Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI), Preventing Nuclear Smuggling Program (PNSP), Nuclear Smuggling International Technical Working Group, etc.; 
- previous ISTC projects which included nuclear forensics as well as the project requirements of ISTC for new projects;
- discussions among the participants about their countries nuclear forensics capabilities as well as areas where they would like to improve their nuclear forensics capabilities;
- discussions on potential nuclear forensics projects, which could potentially be funded through the ISTC (suggestions from representatives of each country). 

2 sessions are supposed to be held:

- Nuclear Forensics Cooperation – Existing Methods
- Nuclear Forensics Cooperation – New Ideas


3rd Day
- assessment of capabilities of each country;
- identification of areas of potential needs;
- potential projects, and project development (including ISTC projects).

2 sessions are supposed to be held:

- Practical exercises (brainstorming)
- Actual Project Development

In conclusion, the participants will be taken to the ITU facility and have a tour to provide hands on knowledge of the application of nuclear forensics. 

For more information, contact:
Svetlana Genisaretskaya
genisaretskaya@istc.ru
Department of Global Security & Strategic Planning