Global Security Newswire

The U.S. Homeland Security Department on Friday said it had inked an agreement intended to deepen nuclear security collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (see GSN, July 3).

The DHS-IAEA Practical Arrangements agreement was signed last week by the head of the U.N. agency's Nuclear Security Office, Khammar Mrabit, and the acting chief of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, Huban Gowadia. The agreement is "an important step forward in the enhancement of the global nuclear security framework," Gowadia said in a prepared statement.

"The Practical Arrangements build upon the extensive collaborative relationship between DHS and the IAEA, outlining the importance of strengthening nuclear security, and denoting four key areas for cooperation," Gowadia said.

"These areas include: the implementation and development of guidelines for the IAEA Nuclear Security Series of publications that provide international guidelines and best practices related to nuclear security; collaboration on the standards, testing, characterization, and evaluation for nuclear detection instruments; providing expertise to the Nuclear Security Support Centers and Academic Research Initiatives as they pertain to radiation/nuclear detection; and cooperation in the development and review of nuclear forensics related best practices and guidelines."

The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office is charged with overseeing multiple U.S. agencies' activities related to the creation of a global nuclear detection architecture. The Homeland Security branch and the U.N. nuclear watchdog have been developing a joint work plan on nuclear security collaboration since 2011, Gowadia said (U.S. Homeland Security Department release, Aug. 10).