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  1. Table-Top exercise on Radioactive Incident Response gathers representatives from 15 countries

Table-Top exercise on Radioactive Incident Response gathers representatives from 15 countries

From 23 to 26 April 2024, the Netherlands hosted a three-and-a-half-day tabletop exercise and workshop on radioactive incident response in The Hague. 

The event focused on supporting participating countries in the development of their forensics response to incidents related to radioactive or nuclear (R/N) materials out of regulatory control, especially as it relates to the criminalization of events under the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT). 

Participants addressed the role of nuclear forensics experts in the investigation and prosecution of nuclear security incidents, the admissibility of nuclear forensics expert evidence into judicial proceedings, and the importance of pre‐incident coordination and communication among scientific, law enforcement, and prosecutorial bodies. The workshop concluded with mock trials demonstrating the introduction and defense of nuclear forensic-related evidence in the judicial systems, emphasizing the universality of key themes reviewed in the workshops. 

The event entitled “Glowing Tulip 2.0: From Crime Scene to Courtroom” was hosted by the Governments of the Netherlands, Romania and the United States of America in collaboration with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and co-funded by the European Union.

It brought together 60 participants from 15 countries, and experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), INTERPOL, the Netherlands, Romania, the United States, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNNL), UNOCT and UNODC.

 

Background

The event was part of the European Union and the United Nations joint project on Promoting Universalization and Effective Implementation of ICSANT. The project funded by the European Union is implemented within the framework of the UNOCT Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Use of Weapons and supports requesting Member States in capacity building to strengthen legal frameworks and enhance nuclear security. The project also encourages the ratification and effective implementation of the ICSANT Convention.

ICSANT was adopted in 2005 by consensus by the United Nations General Assembly. It entered into force in 2007 and currently has 124 States Party. 

In December 2022, the General Assembly reiterated its concern about the growing risk of linkages between terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) (). In particular, the General Assembly recognized that terrorists may seek to acquire WMD and appealed to all Member States to consider ratification of ICSANT while encouraging States Party to review their implementation.
 

Mr. Marc Elsensohn, CEO of the Netherlands Forensic Institute “With the rising threats of acts of terrorism and the availability of materials to prepare for instance a dirty bomb or other devices, forensic science is challenged to further develop advanced methods and technologies with the aim to investigate acts of terrorism.”
Mr. Sorin Moldovan, Vice Chaiman of the Romanian Defense, Public Order and National Security Committee and Chairman of the IT&C Committee at the Parliament of Romania “If nuclear or other radioactive material is seized outside of regulatory control and is associated with an illicit activity punishable by criminal law, a criminal investigation and/or prosecution must follow.”
Mr. Lee Skluzak, Chief of the Political Unit at the U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands “This exercise comes at a critical time when the need for strong cooperation and information sharing to counter R/N threats is more evident than ever before. Collaboration among nations is vital for this; it is impossible to confront these difficult challenges without working together.”
Mr. Ulrik Ahnfeldt-Mollerup, Chief of the Countering Terrorism Section at UNCCT/UNOCT “Concerns about non-state actors, including terrorists, gaining access to and use of weapons of mass destruction have been recognized throughout the United Nations System, including in several Security Council resolutions and in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted in 2006.”
Mr. Roberto Arbitrio, Chief of the Terrorism Prevention Branch at UNODC, referred to the event as “a prime example of the importance of establishing partnerships and strengthening international cooperation in the field of nuclear security, which requires the joint efforts of several stakeholders.”
Ambassador Mika Markus Leinonen, EU Liaison Officer in The Hague “ICSANT is a fundamental instrument and a cornerstone to international order that ensures the peaceful use of nuclear and radiological material.”