Vienna, 28 September 2023 (TDI): At a sideline event, held on the margins of the 67th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, a sneak preview of the first-ever international Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre (NSTDC) and the training activities were provided to the attendees on September 26.
The Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre (NSTDC) is planned to be opened and start its activities in October 2023.
At the event, a live demonstration from the new NSTD Centre was shown to the audience where it was revealed that the Physical Protection Laboratory (PPL) and the Demonstration Control Centre (DCC) will be the two areas where practical training for physical protection will be conducted.
The PPL will serve both as a demonstration area as well as a workspace which will allow trainees to configure, manipulate, and test different physical protection components, such as access controls and surveillance cameras.
While the DCC will serve to train participants on central alarm station operations. It is equipped with multiple workstations that can be configured for alarm monitoring, access control, and video monitoring, as well as for training on computer security.
During the event, the IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Lydie Evrard, notified “The NSTDC is built to respond to growing requests by countries for capacity building in the field of nuclear security that could not be met elsewhere.”
“The IAEA has developed a training program that will complement the existing national and international mechanisms of nuclear security capacity building,” Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard added.
Furthermore, the Head of the Education and Training Development Unit in the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, Marina Labyntseva stated, “The NSTDC is a modern, specialized training facility, supported by state-of-the-art technical infrastructure.”
She further added, “Through a training program designed to address identified needs and gaps, the NSTDC will offer access to hands-on training, advanced technology, and equipment to thousands of experts.”
Besides that, the Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security, Elena Buglova while presenting the milestones in the implementation of this IAEA flagship project highlighted, “The IAEA applied a systematic approach to the establishment and operation of the NSTDC with a focus on sustainability.”
While highlighting the role of donors in completing the NSTDC project, Elena Buglova further emphasized, “NSTDC is a success story and a proof of what we can achieve through international cooperation.”
NSTDC Training Program
Under the NSTDC training program, currently, 23 training courses and workshops are conducted.
All of them address training needs in the area of physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.
Also, the training courses and workshops address the training needs in the area of detection and response to criminal or intentional unauthorized acts involving or directed at nuclear or other radioactive material, associated facilities, or associated activities.
The NSTDC training program also includes a course titled “Introduction to life cycle security of radioactive material and associated facilities in cancer care”.
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This course aims to familiarize participants with key considerations towards ensuring life cycle security and sustainability of radioactive material and associated facilities used for cancer care, including information and computer security aspects of nuclear security.
A forum was also established by the member states of IAEA in 2021, “The Friends of the NSTDC”, that aims to increase awareness about NSTDC.
The major donor support pledges and contributions for the NSTDC are provided by Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, United States of America, as well as the European Union.
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