On May 16-18, 2022, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) International Regulatory Development Partnership (IRDP) supported a 3-day virtual event for the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The event was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of International Nuclear Security. The webinar was a technical exchange on nuclear security and future capacity development with the goal of introducing new nuclear countries to U.S. Government (USG) capabilities and programs to support safe and secure nuclear development. Topics included developing and implementing a nuclear security regime, nuclear security culture, threat assessment, and cybersecurity.
Representatives from several of the U.S. National Laboratories gave presentations on nuclear security. Mr. Mark Tonacci and Mr. Stewart Magruder of AdSTM, Inc. represented the NRC. Mr. Tonacci delivered a presentation on the NRC’s IRDP program on day one. Mr. Magruder presented “Regulatory Considerations for Embarking Countries” on day three. Both Mr. Tonacci and Mr. Magruder supported small-group, focused conversations with representatives from each country and USG colleagues, in an attempt to elicit a self-assessment of existing gaps and needs for capacity development. The workshop also featured a panel session on advanced reactors and nuclear security that was supported by Mr. Magruder. Each country provided a brief update on its recent developments and plans for nuclear power infrastructure development. The workshop also identified potential areas for future bilateral and regional support.