Sara Kutchesfahani joins senior staff at CITS
Dr. Sara Z. Kutchesfahani comes to the Center from the Nuclear Engineering and Nonproliferation Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), where she was the only social science research associate among a pool of 440 at the laboratory. At Los Alamos, her work focused on non-proliferation policy-related research projects, with an emphasis on international safeguards. From LANL, she also taught a graduate distance-learning education course, titled “Nuclear Safeguards & Security Policy,” at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, a premier science engineering research university.
CITS supports IAEA efforts to create self-assessment for nuclear security culture
Dr. Igor Khripunov presenting at the IAEA Technical Meeting in Vienna, Austria
On April 8-12, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a technical meeting to discuss self-assessment methodologies for nuclear security culture in Vienna, Austria. The purpose of this meeting was to review the draft guidance first tested in Indonesia and to determine the ways in which the self-assessment methodology could be further improved, finalized and made available to member states.
As a proof of concept, CITS assisted the IAEA in implementing a pilot self-assessment project conducted in Indonesia at three operating research reactors in cooperation with BATAN, the Indonesian nuclear authority.
Kenya Project for chemical safety & security
Ambassador Jan-Lucas van Hoorn (The Netherlands), Professor William W. Keller (USA), Ambassador Makena Muchiri (Kenya) and Ambassador Jan Borkowski (Poland) discuss the Kenya Project.
In April 2013, CITS Director William W. Keller chaired a side event to the Third Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The goal was to introduce a unique project to support and build chemical safety and security in Kenya. The Kenya delegation embraced the idea of installing a legislative and regulatory system of strategic trade controls that will enable Kenyan authorities to monitor chemicals and other dual-use commodities that transit the Port of Mombasa or use the Port as a transshipment point.
UN General Assembly adopts Arms Trade Treaty
On April 2, 2013 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the new Arms Trade Treaty, concluding decades of hard work to establish a global norm for the international trade in conventional arms. This historic document requires states to establish a control system for the international transfers of this type of weapons. Countries like the United States and members of the European Union have mature systems already in force, but some other states have nothing in place at all. The ATT will change that by linking today’s fractured system into a true international safety net.
Anne-Charlotte Merrell Wetterwik, a CITS Senior Research Associate has, as a technical advisor, been able to follow the UN negotiations closely for the last four years and participated in the final week of the negotiating diplomatic conference in New York City. Ms. Merrell Wetterwik said on the day the ATT was adopted, “For years states have had the tools and obligations to keep trade in dual-use goods under control — today we can finally say the same about conventional weapons. Countries will benefit from a diminished risk of arms diverting to the illicit market and defense companies will navigate more consistent trade regulations. A level playing field for legitimate trade will make it easier to identify and deal with illicit arms dealers and illegitimate transactions that fuel wars and conflict.”
Michael Beck speaks at trade control meeting
Dr. Michael Beck spoke Febrary 13th at the National Council on International Trade Development (NCITD) monthly meeting on global strategic trade control trends. NCITD is an industry-supported nonprofit group in the United States that proposes regulatory changes to address problems hindering international trade.
Chemical Security & Safety Conference in Poland
CITS Director William W. Keller moderated a panel and spoke at the international conference on chemical safety and security, organized and sponsored by the European Union, the government of Poland, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and the city of Tarnow. The conference promoted a global chemical safety and security culture as well as international cooperation in the field.
Security culture self-assessments in Indonesia
During the week of October 15, 2012, CITS researchers conducted four briefings for officials of Indonesia’s National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) and three research reactor facilities in Serpong, Bandung and Yogyakarta. The purpose of the briefings was to introduce the recently-developed methodology to assess nuclear security culture. Self-assessments will be performed by BATAN’s specially-designated teams, with the preliminary results presented in a report in mid-2013. The methodology has been developed by a group of international experts, including CITS, under the IAEA auspices, and will be recommended, after review, to all member states possibly as early as 2013. For more information, contact Dr. Igor Khripunov.
INSEN’s Third Annual Meeting
The International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) held its third annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, July 9-13, 2012. CITS researcher Dmitriy Nikonov participated after serving as the INSEN chair during the 2011-2012 academic year.
INSEN was formed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2010 to coordinate worldwide efforts to introduce university degree programs in nuclear security. INSEN members, hailing from over 20 countries, develop educational materials, create opportunities for faculty and student professional development, and promote nuclear security education.
To obtain more information, please contact the IAEA Office of Nuclear Security at nusec@iaea.org.
CITS holds CBRN security seminar in Indonesia
In May 2012, CITS traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia and held a two-day seminar entitled “Chemical, Biological Radiological and Nuclear Security: Factoring in the Human Element.” The seminar was co-organized and hosted by the National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN).
The seminar offered an in-depth look at security culture at Indonesia’s nuclear facilities and tools to improve that culture. It also trained government officials to improve CBRN security by building proactive security procedures, which reduce the risk of CBRN materials being diverted for malicious purposes.
The seminar was attended by more than 50 representatives of various government agencies dealing with CBRN security issues, including BATAN, the National Nuclear Regulatory Agency, CBRN Unit of the Indonesian Army, National Police, Customs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Intelligence Agency, and National Counterterrorism Agency.
CITS at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
CITS researchers headed to Seoul, South Korea in late March to distribute and discuss their publications at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. CITS will present the report from the February security culture workshop and a book, Legal Framework for Strengthening Nuclear Security and Combating Nuclear Terrorism, written for the NATO Peace and Security Series.
CITS held a workshop on security culture February 6-8 in Athens, Georgia. The workshop, titled “In Search of Sustainable CBRN Security Culture,” aims to create a shared system to combat security threats related to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear technologies. It was organized in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Stanley Foundation. The full concept document and agenda for the workshop, as well as the workshop report on nuclear security culture, are available online.
