AMSSNuR Designated IAEA Collaborating Center for Capacity Building in Nuclear Security

The Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR) was designated on June 23 as the first Collaborating Center in Africa of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for nuclear security capacity building for four years (2021-2025).

The objectives of this center are to assist Member States in the development of the regulatory framework relating to nuclear security in their respective countries, to develop national and regional capacities, particularly in Africa, and to strengthen regional and international cooperation in the area of nuclear safety and security, said AMSSNuR in a press release.

The IAEA Collaborating Centres are scientific institutions such as laboratories, universities, research facilities, etc. that have been collaborating with the IAEA in a variety of fields, such as food safety, environmental protection, water resource management and human health.

It aims to support the IAEA’s planned activities through the implementation of an action plan agreed with the relevant division of the Agency, the release pointed out.

The IAEA Collaborating Centre Agreement is a legally binding document signed by both parties, which contains, inter alia, the undertakings of the parties, duration of designation, objectives, activities, and expected results and outcomes stated in the Work Plan.

AMSSNuR actively contributed to capacity building in nuclear security through several regional and international cooperation activities, including the organization of the 3rd International Conference of Nuclear Security Regulators in 2019, which took place in Marrakech under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the reception of African trainees, the organization of scientific visits and expert missions for the benefit of several countries, as well as numerous workshops and training courses in the field of nuclear security, the source said.

The agency heads a thematic working group on nuclear security within the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA), chaired by its Director General, Dr. Khammar Mrabit.

The AMSSNuR was designated in 2019 as the first IAEA Regional Center in Africa for the development of skills in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response, the release added.