UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch held a national workshop on the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT), the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its 2005 Amendment in Luanda on 12-13 February 2019.
The event commenced with opening remarks provided by the United Nations Regional Coordinator for Angola, the Secretary of State to International Cooperation and Angolan Communities and the Secretary of State to Energy and the Honorary Consul of Canada to Angola. The workshop is part of UNODC's three-year project to promote the universalization and effective implementation of the aforementioned key conventions and takes place within the overall framework of the UNODC Regional Programme in Southern Africa. The project is funded by the Government of Canada.
Angolan policy and decision makers as well as subject matter experts gathered with representatives from UNODC, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the Group of Experts of the United Nations Security Council Committee established pursuant resolution 1540 (2004), the Ministry of Justice of Cameroon and the Nuclear Safety and Security Authority of Côte d'Ivoire to discuss the benefits of the Conventions.
ICSANT, CPPNM and its 2005 Amendment are essential in preventing nuclear terrorism and improving nuclear security worldwide. The universal adoption of these instruments can benefit all countries by facilitating international cooperation.
During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to explore the main features of the Conventions and to understand the differences and synergies between ICSANT, CPPNM and its 2005 Amendment. The event also allowed participants to explore a practical case scenario with regards to the implementation of these instruments, discuss the challenges of national implementation in the region as well as lessons learnt. Furthermore, the workshop highlighted the importance of being party to and fully implementing ICSANT, CPPNM and its 2005 Amendment, and offered a platform to learn about opportunities for assistance provided by the different organizations represented at the event.
