Regional Workshop on Nuclear Security Information Exchange and Cooperation for West Africa

This event is an essential part of the IAEA nuclear security programme in supporting States’ efforts to combat illicit trafficking and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and other radioactive material. This workshop will engage national experts from the West Africa States who support the State’s national response to such events, in particular Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB) Points of Contact (POC). The workshop is designed to foster the exchange of information and experience among participants. The programme will consist of lecturers’ presentations, State presentations, round-table discussions and table-top exercises or a guided visit to relevant State nuclear security infrastructure.The objective of the workshop is to strengthen national, regional, and international capacity to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material, and other nuclear security events, through enhanced information exchange and cooperation.The workshop will facilitate, namely through designated Points of Contact, the timely exchange of information (including through secured electronic access to information contained in the ITDB), and will encourage all States to join and participate actively in the ITDB program.National focal points for nuclear security event information in the West Africa States are invited to designate their national POC for the IAEA’s ITDB. In lieu of the ITDB POC, States are invited to designate an official with responsibilities for the coordination of information on illicit trafficking events involving nuclear or other radioactive materials (e.g., national focal point).
Customs or border control representative: States are invited to designate individuals that have responsibilities for the control of borders and the detection and response to radioactive material crossing borders.
Law enforcement representative: States are invited to designate individuals that have responsibilities for the investigation of illicit trafficking and other nuclear security events. Such individuals will generally come from law enforcement, security or intelligence agencies. Designated officials should have extensive experience, relative to the national experience, with the investigation of such events.