Fact Sheet: EC-US 2016 Counter Nuclear Smuggling Workshop

US-EC Cooperation to Strengthen International Capacities to Counter Nuclear Smuggling

The European Commission and the United States of America are cooperating to prevent terrorists, criminals, or other unauthorized actors from acquiring nuclear or other radioactive materials.  Despite significant international achievement in strengthening the security of these materials at facilities of origin, seizures of weapons-grade nuclear material in Moldova (2011) and Georgia (2003, 2006, 2010) suggest these materials continue to be trafficked by transnational criminals.  Furthermore, analysis produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB) show that nuclear and radioactive materials continue to be encountered out of regulatory control in all regions of the world. 

Recognizing the need for strengthened international cooperation to counter nuclear smuggling, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the United States Department of State co-hosted the “2016 Counter Nuclear Smuggling (CNS) Workshop” at the JRC Institute for Transuranium Elements, in Karlsruhe, Germany.  Eighty experts from 30 countries and international organizations, including the IAEA, INTERPOL, and the United Nations, shared best practices and lessons learned in leveraging investigative and technical capabilities to counter smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material. The workshop advanced the commitments made at the 2010, 2012, and 2014 Nuclear Security Summits and included demonstrations of CNS capabilities outlined in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 ‘Statements of Activity and Cooperation to Counter Nuclear Smuggling.'

Through a series of informational presentations as well as exercises and demonstrations, the workshop addressed state of the art approaches and technical challenges associated with detection, response, nuclear forensic analysis and law enforcement investigation of nuclear smuggling incidents.  Workshop participants concluded that close inter-agency cooperation at the national level and international information sharing enable an optimized use of investigative and technical capabilities to effectively counter nuclear smuggling acts, detect nuclear and radioactive material out of regulatory control, and analyze seized material to understand its origin and history as well as potential linkages with other seizures. 

The March 2016 CNS Workshop marked a significant step in collaborative efforts to strengthen international capabilities to prevent nuclear and radioactive materials from falling into the hands of terrorists and other malicious actors.

Fact Sheet: U.S. Participation EC-US Counter Nuclear Smuggling Workshop

The United States is committed to preventing terrorists, criminals, and other unauthorized actors from acquiring nuclear and other radioactive materials.  Despite significant international progress in strengthening the security of these materials at facilities, seizures of weapons-usable nuclear material in Moldova (2011) and Georgia (2003, 2006, 2010) suggest these materials continue to be trafficked by transnational criminals.  Reporting from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Incident and Trafficking Database also shows nuclear and radioactive materials are encountered out of regulatory control in all regions. 

Recognizing the need for strengthened international cooperation to counter nuclear smuggling, the United States and the European Commission co-hosted the “2016 Counter Nuclear Smuggling (CNS) Workshop” at the Joint Research Centre-Institute for Transuranium Elements (JRC-ITU) in Karlsruhe, Germany, March 8-10, 2016.  Experts from 28 countries and international organizations shared best practices and lessons learned in investigative and technical capabilities to counter illicit trafficking.  The workshop advanced commitments made at previous Nuclear Security Summits and included demonstrations of CNS capabilities outlined in the ‘Statements of Activity and Cooperation to Counter Nuclear Smuggling’ issued at the each Nuclear Security Summit since 2012.  Workshop instructors included experts from the JRC-ITU, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Energy, INTERPOL, and the IAEA.

Through a series of informational presentations, exercises, and demonstrations, the instructors guided discussions on state-of-the-art approaches and technical challenges associated with detection, investigative planning, radioactive crime scene management, and nuclear forensic analysis of nuclear smuggling incidents.  Workshop participants concluded that close interagency cooperation and international information sharing enable optimized use of investigative and technical capabilities to effectively counter nuclear smuggling.

The March 2016 CNS Workshop marked a significant step in the United States’ collaborative efforts to strengthen international capabilities to prevent nuclear and radioactive materials from falling into the hands of malicious actors.   

Fact Sheet: U.S. Participation in ITWG

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                         

FACT SHEET

U.S. Participation in the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group

The United States and European Commission co-chair the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG), which is an informal, unaffiliated association of nuclear forensics practitioners from governments around the world.  ITWG works to identify, develop, and promote best practices in the field of nuclear forensics by holding annual meetings, conducting exercises, and publishing guidelines.  These efforts help strengthen national capabilities to investigate and prosecute illicit uses of nuclear and other radioactive material. 

In addition to co-chairing ITWG, U.S. experts help lead several ITWG task groups including those on evidence collection, exercises, guidelines, training, and national nuclear forensic libraries (NNFLs).  These efforts draw upon experts from several U.S. interagency partners, including the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and national laboratory complex, the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

ITWG held its twentieth annual meeting June 2015 in Budapest, Hungary, and will hold its next annual meeting in Lyon, France in June 2016.  The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre will host the 2017 annual meeting.  Experts from more than 50 countries have participated in ITWG meetings since it was established in 1995. 

ITWG completed its fourth collaborative material exercise March 2015, and it will initiate the next one in fall 2016.  During these exercises, experts from laboratories around the world are asked to analyze nuclear material as part of a mock investigation and then later review the effectiveness of the various techniques employed.  Lessons learned and techniques developed from these exercises have been published in peer-reviewed technical journals and used as the basis to develop ITWG guidelines.  ITWG has prepared guidelines on the use of a variety of technical tools.  The guidelines can be found on the ITWG website www.nf-itwg.org. 

ITWG also conducts a U.S.-sponsored, web-based, virtual exercise series on NNFLs called Galaxy Serpent.  An NNFL is an important nuclear security tool that helps a country determine if material found outside regulatory control is or is not consistent with material it produces, uses, or stores.  In its national statement, the United States announced it now accepts NNFL queries from other governments.  (More information on the query process is available on the Nuclear Security Summit website www.nss2016.org).

The United States and European Commission issued a joint statement at the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit regarding future ITWG efforts.  Contributions by the United States to future ITWG efforts include: 

• Continued co-chairmanship with the European Commission;
• Provision of experts to help lead task groups;
• Participation in ITWG collaborative material exercises, e.g. CMX-5;
• Provision of subject matter expert input to the development of new ITWG guidelines;
• Facilitation of future Galaxy Serpent exercises on national nuclear forensics libraries; and,
• Support for the participation of some foreign government experts in ITWG annual meetings and exercises.   

Cooperation between governments is critical to addressing transnational threats involving nuclear and other radioactive material found outside regulatory control.  U.S. collaboration with international nuclear forensics practitioners through ITWG has strengthened global nuclear security.