EU-US Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) Joint Statement

Recognizing twenty years of cooperation in promoting nuclear forensics as a tool and key component to strengthen nuclear material security, the United States of America and the European Union, co-chairs of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG), have positioned ITWG to be an effective platform for nuclear forensic practitioners to raise awareness, build capacity, and identify and promote best practices.

Nuclear forensics advances Nuclear Security Summit goals by enhancing efforts to investigate and prosecute criminal or unlawful acts involving nuclear and other radioactive material.  Since the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague in 2014, ITWG has pursued a number of activities.  These include conducting comparative nuclear material exercises that socialize nuclear forensic techniques and identify best practices.  In addition, ITWG conducted exercises that clarify the uses and utility of national nuclear forensic libraries in helping identify the origin of nuclear or other radioactive material found outside regulatory control.  Finally, ITWG has developed and propagated conceptual, technical, and analytic guidelines documents on a range of topics that include alpha and gamma spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and related techniques. 

On behalf of the ITWG Executive Committee, the European Union and the United States of America affirm that ITWG will continue to serve as the authoritative international technical forum for nuclear forensic practitioners to:

• Foster and sustain investigative and prosecutorial efforts against illicit uses of nuclear and other radioactive material;
• Conduct international exercises that identify and socialize best practices, explore new technical approaches to advance nuclear forensic capabilities, engaged practitioners in building an effective technical nuclear forensics community; and,
• Continue providing technical expertise and products in collaboration with longstanding international partners that include the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT), and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).