Dr. Khammar Mrabit, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR) took part in a seminar organized jointly by the Nuclear Security Division and the Incident and Emergency Center of the Nuclear Safety and Security Division, under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Held remotely and in Arabic on April 29, 2021, this seminar focused on strengthening national capacities in the areas of security and Preparedness and Response.

The objective of the seminar was to discuss the IAEA’s methodology for capacity building in these areas, while presenting the support programmes offered by the IAEA. It also aimed to define the roles and responsibilities of organizations involved in capacity development, as well as to identify the important role of partnerships in capacity-building activities.

Through his presentation on the Moroccan experience in national capacity building in the Kingdom of Morocco, Dr. Mrabit presented the missions, objectives and partnerships of AMSSNuR, the Moroccan regulatory authority recognized by the IAEA as the first African capacity building center in Africa in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response.

Subsequently, Dr. Mrabit recalled all the events, aimed at strengthening national capacities, organized by AMSSNuR, including the regional course of the School of Radiological Emergency Management held in 2018, in addition to the various national and regional training workshops on the preparation and conduct of responses in the event of a nuclear or radiological emergency, organized with the support of the IAEA and the European Union.

Also, Dr. Mrabit presented the four field exercises relating to radiological emergencies that were triggered by security events, organized in four regions of the Kingdom by the General Directorate of Civil Protection.

Finally, Dr. Mrabit shared AMSSNuR’s good practices in terms of human resources management and demonstrated AMSSNuR’s commitment to strengthening and maintaining national capacities, including training and education on preparing for and responding to nuclear or radiological emergencies, through AMSSNuR’s capacity building center.