Rabat – Morocco’s Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR) has launched its new website to reinforce its national and international positioning and further establish itself as a credible, independent, and transparent regulatory agency.
AMSSNuR also created the website with the aim to ease access to information on its work around nuclear and radiological safety and raise awareness about the legal framework governing nuclear material use in Morocco.
The agency’s move also comes in compliance with law 31-13 on the right of access to information, as well as law 142-12 about various aspects of the safe management of nuclear energy, such as the treatment of radioactive waste, and the construction, design, testing, operating, and maintenance of nuclear and radioactive facilities.
Law 142-12 also administers the manufacturing, acquisition, and logistics process of sources of ionizing radiation, in addition to the extraction and processing of radioactive ores.
During a press conference on Thursday at its headquarters in Rabat, AMSSNuR General Director Khammar Mrabit stressed the importance of the agency’s intervention in the sectors involving nuclear and radioactive processes, namely medicine. Mrabit indicated that Morocco counts more than 25 nuclear medicine centers.
“When nuclear energy is not well controlled and tracked [in the field of medicine], it becomes a danger on both operators and patients,” clarified the expert, noting that whoever operates nuclear facilities must be aware of the right dosage.
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Mrabit shed light on Morocco’s needs on the level of nuclear expertise, noting that the country requires more than 14,000 experts in nuclear safety and security to appropriately execute nuclear research and operations.
Among AMSSNuR’s strategic axes is training experts in Morocco in the field of nuclear safety and security. It does so through two agreements: One with the Moroccan Ministry of Education and one with the National Center for Energy, Nuclear Sciences and Techniques (CNESTEN).
These agreements are set to deliver 500 specialized technicians every year to gradually fill the national need for nuclear expertise. Applicants must have a minimum of two years of study after the baccalaureate.
“This will also generate job opportunities, given the necessity of having at least one nuclear expert in each nuclear facility.”
Raising awareness about AMSSNuR’s work
Training programs and campaigns will also concern applicants from the African continent, announced the general director.
Mrabit said that AMSSNuR has hosted over 60 workshops since 2017 to raise awareness among African citizens about the nuclear safety and security agency’s legal framework in Morocco. “Now thanks to the website, raising awareness about our work on the national and international levels is much easier.”
Mrabit emphasized to Morocco World News the necessity of raising awareness among the youth through simplified tools and methods, given “the lack of awareness about nuclear energy in Morocco.”
“All our communication managers in AMSSNuR are young people, who understand the expectations of their generation,” said Mrabit.
“Our communication managers are doing a great job to attract the attention of young people via social media,” he added.
Mrabit has more than 30 years of experience in the domain of nuclear safety and security. In June he joined the Commission of Safety Standards (CSS) at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
