ISTC expands its geographical reach, helps African countries improve nuclear safety and security

Astana, 17 February 2017. Experts on radiological and nuclear (RN) issues from state institutions and research communities of elevent African countries are convening in Nairobi to kick start a new project on nuclear safety and security in the region. They will share information about existing legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms and national policies on nuclear safety and security; will voice their needs of specialized training, field exercises, and equipment to better respond to RN risks; and will discuss ways and means to address efficiently the challenges of managing RN sources in all industrial and medical domains, and of ensuring safe trans-border transportation of RN materials. The new project is titled Support to the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Center of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) for Eastern and Central Africa in Nuclear Security and involves the following countries:  Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, The Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Namibia. The overall long-term objective of the project is to strengthen and harmonize the nuclear regulatory frameworks in the participating countries, to enhance their nuclear safety and security and to support their efforts to fulfill the international safeguards obligations they have assumed under a plethora of UN and multilateral treaties and conventions. The project will be implemented by the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) with over 20 years of experience of working on CBRN issues. As a host country and proactive member of the ISTC, Kazakhstan is expected to share expertise with partners from the Eastern and Central Africa region during the implementation of the new project.

The project’s inception gathering on 23 February will follow a two-day round table meeting for the Eastern and Central Africa National Focal Points (20-22 February) within the framework of the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) initiative. The International Science and Technology Centre is a co-organizer of the round table meeting, convened in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, the host country to the Eastern and Central Africa CBRN CoE Regional Secretariat. Representatives from the European Commission Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG-DEVCO), the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Union Delegation to Kenya, the UN Office in Nairobi, UNICRI and AESA On-Site Technical Assistance (OSA) will also attend the meeting.

The project Support to the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Center of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) for Eastern and Central Africa in Nuclear Security within the framework of the EU Instrument contributing to Peace and Security, features as Number 60 in the long list of projects that have been initiated within the CBRN Centers of Excellence initiative of the European Union. The ISTC will be implementing this project in parallel with a similar initiative, namely Support to Southern African States in Nuclear Safety and Safeguards under the EU Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation. Funded by the EU and conceived as complementary to each other, the two initiatives illustrate the internationally recommended “Triple S” approach addressing simultaneously the nuclear safety, safeguards and security issues.