Participating in the Workshop were experts from CITS, Los Alamos National Laboratory – the US, the International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan Co. Ltd (JINED) and domestic participants from agencies under VAEI, Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency (Ministry of Science and Technology).
Objectives of the Workshop were to introduce overall about nuclear security and nuclear security culture, relations between safety, security and culture; strengthening to ensure nuclear security and building nuclear security culture in Viet Nam through lessons learnt on responding to different challenges with security in the US, Japan and IAEA’s guidance.
Delivering a speech in the Inauguration ceremony, a representative of the Workshop’s Organizing Committee, Mr. Trần Ngọc Toàn, Head of International Cooperation Division, VAEI emphasized that Viet Nam has always been aware of the importance of security assurance in the atomic energy development and use program, which is shown in Decision No. 450/QĐ-TTg dated March 25, 2011 by the Prime Minister on approving the Proposal on “Implementing measures to ensure security in atomic energy field” in order to ensure security for activities in the atomic energy field, international cooperation programs on atomic energy, security for nuclear materials, for radiation and nuclear units; ensure ultimate security for the implementation of nuclear power plants in all stages from preparation, construction, operation and termination of the plants. In the world, from the September 11 attack in 2011, after the US was attacked on a large scale into the World Trade Center, the issue of nuclear security, especially protection of new power plants has been really paid attention by the international community. Once a nuclear terrorism occurs, the security of all nations and stability of all regions will be affected. The use of nuclear material and radiation materials for bad purposes could cause panic for the publics, causing decreasing their trust in activities of nuclear energy use, including nuclear power. It is necessary to improve roles of the publics in nuclear security issues and especially for working units relating to nuclear. We need to understand nuclear security issues at a more large and long-term scale, not at a limited scale. And we should be aware that in order to develop sustainably the nuclear security culture needs to be integrated with history, traditions and good practices of each nation. These things are significant various among nations. This is an extremely important issue for “newly participating nuclear” countries” – those countries which are developing the infrastructure for atomic energy as Việt Nam.
In the Workshop, during the two-working days, experts presented basic and comprehensive information on ensuring safety and security of units as Introduction on nuclear security, Nuclear security culture, Relations between safety culture and security culture, Principles on protecting entities, issues relating to radiation sources and mobile sources, Sample models on nuclear security culture of IAEA… The experts said that nuclear security has been very important, it hasn’t been a destination but a continuous process which is reviewed and improved to make sure nuclear security better and better. In security culture, the existence of security laws, legislation, regulations are procedures is necessary but not enough, people need to comply with these on the daily basis.
On the Viet Nam’s side, Professor, PhD Nguyễn Nhị Điền, VEAI’s Deputy Director also provided basic information on the Nuclear Power Development Program in Viet Nam and importance of nuclear security; Challenges and Strategies on protecting radiation source in Viet Nam… In Viet Nam, after some incidents of losing radiation sources it showed that the legal compliance is not strict and security culture hasn’t been paid proper attention.
Therefore, the Workshop on Nuclear Security and Culture was to improve awareness of those who work in atomic energy field on importance of ensuring safety and security for radiation sources, then strengthening security, building security culture for their agencies and units. This would be good opportunity for Vietnamese managers and experts to learn experience of the US and Japanese experts on nuclear security and nuclear security culture with very practical lessons and most advanced development models.