Nuclear and other radioactive material is widely used in numerous fields, including medicine, agriculture, industry, research and power production. Millions of radioactive sources are being shipped every year to improve people’s lives all around the globe. Recent threats have prompted countries in the region to strengthen their capabilities to counter the risk of nuclear and other radioactive material being used for malicious purposes. 

To support Member States’ response to these threats, UNODC conducted its first online regional workshop on 20 September 2023 under the new EU Project Union Support for the universalisation and effective implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) which was launched on 18 September and will run until 2026. The workshop brought together over 60 participants from some 20 countries in the African region.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Stefan Tressing, Deputy Head of the Division for Disarmament and Non-proliferation of the EU’s External Action Service. Mr Tressing informed participants that the EU was a “long standing, proud and committed supporter of ICSANT” and how its efforts through ICSANT aimed to ensure that the fear of malicious acts does not “hamper the peaceful use of nuclear technologies in key areas to meet the sustainable development goals and improve life conditions.”

UNODC’s Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs, Mr. John Brandolino, expressed his appreciation to participants and highlighted that the transnational nature of the threat of nuclear terrorism “requires a dedicated and coordinated response from the international community and Member States.”

Mr. John Buchanan, Coordinator of INTERPOL’s Radiological Nuclear Terrorism Prevention Unit shared the perspective of his organization in assessing and addressing threats of nuclear terrorism. UNODC experts provided the audience with an overview of the provisions within ICSANT that could effectively assist States parties in preventing and suppressing terrorism and other criminal conduct involving nuclear or other radioactive material. In this context, participants were informed on how to access the various types of support that UNODC and UNCCT had to offer, such as capacity building, legislative assistance, e-learning modules and other tools and resources.

Mr. Hubert K Foy, Director of the African Center for Science and International Security (AFRICSIS) provided participants with insight into the implementation of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its Amendment with a view to drawing lessons for the success of adherence to, and implementation of, ICSANT within the region. Mr Foy addressed the issue of competing priorities and highlighted that the lesson learned in this regard was “collective effort”, namely through close cooperation among African States and relevant international organizations. He highlighted that “collective effort enhances knowledge sharing, resource allocation and capacity building.”