World Institute for Nuclear Security Celebrates 15th Anniversary

The World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), an organization founded by NTI to strengthen the physical protection and security of nuclear and radioactive materials and facilities worldwide, recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a reception and launch of a new report, “Nuclear Security 2.0.” WINS’s mission is to build a strong community of nuclear security professionals from industry, government, and non-governmental organizations that can promote nuclear security best practices.

Former NTI President Charles Curtis, who played a central role in the founding of WINS and served as initial chair of the WINS Board of Directors, delivered remarks during the anniversary event about why WINS has been so effective and how its success can inform an effective approach to mitigating new threats.

“Thanks to the successful effort of WINS, many countries have voluntarily adopted best practices on many important areas of nuclear security,” he said. “But, as we look out on the dangers in the world today, there’s a lot of concern about AI, machine learning, advances in cyber and biology, which has people calling out for guardrails and regulatory systems. Those steps are important but will not be effective alone. The lesson from WINS is that we need best practices for addressing these issues, too.”

WINS, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, is a membership-based organization with approximately 8,000 members from 163 countries. Since its founding in 2008, WINS has worked to improve the competence of nuclear security professionals through a variety of workshops, trainings, and other professional development opportunities. By investing in the people who make up the nuclear security workforce, WINS seeks to prevent acts of nuclear and radiological terrorism that threaten global security.