The risk of nuclear and other radioactive material being used for terrorist or other criminal purposes poses a threat that transcends borders and thus requires an effective and coordinated response from the international community. The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) is an essential tool to counter this threat and is at the disposal of UN Member States to do so.
On 7 September 2021, UNODC delivered an online national workshop on ICSANT together with the Government of Grenada. The event was a follow-up to the regional workshop for selected CARICOM countries on the universalization and effective implementation of ICSANT, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), and its 2005 Amendment (A/CPPNM), which was held in Barbados in February 2020.
The workshop commenced with opening remarks provided by Mr. Didier Trebucq, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, Mr. O’Neil Hamilton, UNODC’s Non-proliferation Initiative (GNI) for Africa, Asia and South and Central America for the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540, and Senator the Honorable Cathisha Williams, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and CARICOM Affairs of Grenada.
Representatives of the Royal Grenada Police Force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Grenada, Grenada Ports Authority, and Grenada Customs participated in the workshop and discussed, together with representatives of UNODC, the importance of, and benefits of adherence to, ICSANT.
The workshop presented the key provisions and distinctive features of the Convention and included a practical case study to illustrate why each country should become party to it. Furthermore, the workshop provided participants with an overview of UNODC’s work and technical assistance activities available to Member States.
The event was delivered under UNODC’s project, funded by the Government of Canada, to support the universalization of international legal frameworks related to nuclear security.
