Morocco is the first MENA regional country to assume such responsibilities.
Rabat – During the 11th Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) plenary meeting held on June 5-7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 88 countries have endorsed Morocco to be the Implementation and Assessment Group Coordinator (IAG) of the GICNT from 2019-2021.
According to the GICNT official website, “IAG…is charged with implementing priorities identified by the plenary and ensuring GICNT activities are coordinated and complementary to other international efforts.
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The IAG is currently focused on developing and executing a flexible work program that produces practical results for the GICNT through three working groups.”
The list of the group includes, the Nuclear Detection Working Group (NDWG) which focuses on “mapping, building, and enhancing National Detection Capabilities”, and the Nuclear Forensics Working Group (NFWG) whose main goal “is to develop documents that raise awareness of nuclear forensics among policymakers.”
The list also include the Response and Mitigation Working Group (RMWG) which “coordinate activities designed to produce best practices and recommendations for the response to a radiological/nuclear terrorist incident.”
GICNT was launched at the G8 Summit in 2006 by the current Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and former president of the US, George.W.Bush. The 13 founders including Morocco and the US held their first plenary meeting in Rabat, Morocco in 2006.
The election of Morocco as IAG came as a recognition of the country’s efforts in fighting terrorism at the national and global scale.
Morocco will hold its IAG mid-term plenary meeting in June 2020.