We would like to share with you the Opening Remarks made by Dr Roger Howsley, Executive Director of WINS, at the IAEA International Conference on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities that took place 13-17 November 2017 in Vienna, Austria.
Opening Remarks
Good morning, Deputy Director General Lentijo, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen.
WINS congratulates the IAEA on the organisation of this International Conference on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities and acknowledges the actions of the international community that have led to the entry into force in May 2016 of the Amendment to the Convention of the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, a singularly important achievement that further strengthens the international legal framework for nuclear security.
WINS is proud to, once again, be a cooperating organisation, partnering with the IAEA and the other cooperating organisations, who are represented here this morning.
WINS’ vision is that all nuclear and other radioactive material and facilities are effectively secured by demonstrably competent professionals, applying best practice to achieve operational excellence.
We currently have over 4,100 members in 122 countries. In the last three years, over 1,000 participants have enrolled in the WINS Academy, which provides certified training for personnel with responsibilities for nuclear security.
We were delighted last year when the WINS Academy was specifically recognised in the Joint Communication on Certified Training known as Information Circular 901 (INFCIRC/901). The document, which was circulated by Canada with 13 other supporting countries, highlights the importance of certification, quality management and Nuclear Security Support Centres to sustain nuclear security competences and build capacity in each country. I encourage you to sign on to this important document and demonstrate your national commitment to certified nuclear security training.
During this conference, we will be showcasing the work we are doing with both the aviation and nuclear sectors to identify best practices from each sector in order to strengthen security overall. This is the subject of an extensive research project funded by the MacArthur Foundation. In addition, we will be presenting our work with National Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres, including in Mexico, and providing a more detailed status report on the WINS Academy.
In that regard, and in good company with Director General Amano, WINS will be highlighting the importance of increasing the number of women engaged in nuclear security internationally and implementing targeted programmes to achieve this goal. As a Gender Champion, WINS has an active programme to identify and overcome the barriers to full participation of women in the nuclear security sector and ensure there is a marked increase in the number of women engaged in nuclear security from the current low level of approximately 20%.
Finally, WINS is hosting a side event today: “Evolving Threats and Advanced Technology—What Does It Mean for Nuclear Security?”. During this event, Mr Mitch Free, IBM Director for Innovation Business Development, and I will consider the impact of big data and data analytics, behavioural and biometric analysis, robotic guards and remotely operated weapons systems, small modular reactors and a world that is interconnected in real time like never before. You are all cordially invited to join us in the Press Room from 12.45pm today.
To obtain a full appreciation of all the work that WINS is doing to achieve its mission and support the objectives of the IAEA, I encourage you all to visit the WINS’ exhibition space immediately adjacent to Board Room B.
I wish you a productive and fruitful week.
