On 4-8 October the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) held a five-days train-the-trainers (TTT) session on preventing radiological and nuclear (RN) trafficking within the scope of the project “CONTACT – Black Sea – Enhancing capacities to prevent the trafficking of radiological and nuclear material in the Black Sea region”. The training took place in the Moldovan Customs Training Center and aimed at training Moldovan nuclear security practitioners in charge of responding to illicit trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials. It was the second TTT event organized within the framework of the project. The organization of the event was facilitated by the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) National Focal Point, Ms. Vera Tarsina, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova.
Overall, 8 practitioners from various Moldovan governmental agencies took part in the training, including participants from the General Inspectorate of Police, the General Inspectorate of Border Police, the Customs Service, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Security and Intelligence Service as well as the National Agency for Regulation of Nuclear and Radiological Activities of the Republic of Moldova.
The training consisted of both a theoretical part and practical exercises to give trainees a comprehensive view of the subject-matter. The aim of the training was to enhance knowledge of RN materials subject to potential smuggling operations, detection equipment and principles, planning and conducting intelligence/law enforcement operations and radiological crime scene investigation. In addition, the training aimed to enhance the skills of the participants in delivering a lecture and sharing knowledge with their peers.
“Conducting the train-the-trainers session in Chisinau marks the implementation of yet another phase of the ‘Contact Black Sea’ project in Moldova. The five-day training activities provided an excellent opportunity for the national experts, with competencies in nuclear and radiological security, to exchange best practices and experiences as well as to enrich their knowledge with the support and skilled guidance of UNICRI’s project team of trainers. Over the course of the training, national experts had the opportunity to learn from each other and share with UNICRI their experience and achievements as well as to discuss the challenges faced in the implementation of CBRN related activities.
The various theoretical and practical activities were combined in a professional manner, which contributed to an efficient learning environment. This, undoubtedly, was reflected in the overall success of the TTT session. We appreciate this opportunity offered to our experts to enhance their skills and knowledge with the end goal of further sharing what they have learned at the national level by offering lectures in their respective institutions and other relevant training contexts. The project will live on through its continuous implementation at the national level.
The Moldovan authorities look forward to a closer and fruitful cooperation with UNICRI as well as with the regional counterparts in the implementation of the next phases of the CONTACT Black Sea project” – said Ms. Vera Tarsina, CBRN National Focal Point for the Republic of Moldova.
About the project
On the 1st of June 2020, UNICRI officially launched the project “CONTACT – Black Sea – Enhancing capacities to prevent the trafficking of radiological and nuclear material in the Black Sea region”. The project aims at enhancing capacities of security and law enforcement officials in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to prevent and counter trafficking of radiological and nuclear (RN) material and at fostering regional cooperation and exchange of information on RN trafficking-related incidents. The project is implemented by the UNICRI and jointly funded by the United Kingdom Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (UK BEIS), the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) and the U.S. Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
