On February 6–10, 2017, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and the African Center for Science and International Security (AFRICSIS) conducted their second joint capacity-building workshop, titled “Nuclear Security Policy and Practice in the African Continent.” AFRICSIS, an independent, science-based non-profit organization established by Mr. Hubert Foy—an alumnus of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey—hosted the workshop in Accra, Ghana.
Building on the successful outcome of the first CNS-AFRICSIS workshop in 2016 and the need to meet a growing demand for nuclear security training and capacity building on the African continent, the agenda for this follow-up workshop was developed to benefit a wide range of practitioners. It targeted professionals who currently work in the fields of nuclear and radioactive security, or whose professional activities have an impact on fostering and strengthening nuclear security in the region. This event brought together thirty participants from twelve countries, including inspectors and officials from nuclear regulatory authorities, foreign ministries, law enforcements agencies, medical and cancer treatment facilities, and universities. Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, and Togo were all represented at the workshop. A number of representatives from regional and international organizations in Africa also attended the workshop, including the African Union, African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE), Interpol, and United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC). Workshop presentations featured experts from CNS, Nigeria, and South Africa, as well as international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Group of Experts established to support United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540.
