Current Activities And Future Challenges Of Nuclear Security And Safeguards Project In Forum For Nuclear Cooperation In Asia (fnca) And Iscn Engagement

In response for to the diversification of energy resources, several Asian countries have currently considered nuclear power as an option. As a result, a dramatic increase on the use of nuclear material is foreseen; nuclear security and safeguards, as well as nuclear safety, will become more important in the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. For these reasons, the Nuclear Security and Safeguards Project (NSSP) started in 2011 within the framework of the FNCA, aims to cooperate with FNCA member countries to strengthen their respective regimes. The FNCA is a framework led by Japan's Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) since 2000 for international cooperation with neighboring Asian countries towards the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Currently, 7 topical projects are being conducted with collaborative activities under equal partnership in various nuclear fields. Each project promotes joint research, discussions on common challenges, and information exchange. A workshop is held annually. Conversely, the Integrated Support Center for the Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been providing assistance, specifically to Asian countries. Therefore, the ISCN has closely collaborated with the NSSP. The objectives of the NSSP are to share experiences, knowledge, and information on nuclear security and safeguards implementation including human resource development (HRD) and research and development activities. From 2020, new activities started with a four-year plan. As one of the new activities, the nuclear security stake holder matrix project has been started. This activity identifies the categories of jobs that ensure nuclear security in each country, identifies the capacities required for the job, and identifies the presence or absence of gaps. FNCA Member states will utilized the outcome of this project for human resource development programs and improvements for regime. We plan to hold training courses and workshops while identifying Gap over the next three years. In this presentation, we will illustrate the results of FNCA's activities and future issues as well as the ISCN engagements to the NSSP.