An Overview of the Brazilian Nuclear Security Training and Support Centre: Historical and Challenges

Education and training play an essential role in ensuring the establishment and maintenance of nuclear security culture, so that experts around the world are well prepared and qualified to analyze national nuclear security needs, to prevent and combat the threat of sabotage or the use of nuclear and radioactive material for malicious acts, and to prepare effective response measures to nuclear and radiological security events. Based on this need, the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) through its Office of Nuclear Security (ESF) created the National Support Centre for Nuclear Security (CENASF). The CENASF was effectively created through the CNEN's Resolution No. 143, dated and published on November 14^th, 2012. Two months before the creation, on September 20th, 2012 a cooperation agreement (Practical Arrangements) was signed between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and CNEN, including cooperation and collaboration in the development of this training center. In addition to the IAEA, we have the cooperation of other international organizations related to security area, such as DOS, DOE (USA), PDC (Denmark), etc. The CENASF has the mission of promoting in the country the human resources training, inter-agency collaboration and security culture in the security area of facilities with nuclear and / or radioactive materials and in the area of prevention, detection and response to illicit trafficking of nuclear or radioactive material. As well as acting as a focal point, before IAEA and other international, regional and national organizations in the development of activities related to its mission. Even without a proper infrastructure and without human resources compatible to the needs, the CENASF could meet an annual demand for event organization 100% higher than the existing pre CENASF period, when training were focused only to the needs of operators of national nuclear and/or and radiological facilities and inspectors of the CNEN. Between 2013 and 2016, eleven events were organized by the Centre, including courses, seminars and workshops with the participation of around 400 stakeholders. In addition to operators of nuclear and radioactive facilities and inspectors of the CNEN, there was the participation of other related organizations to nuclear security in the country, such as the Federal Police, Revenue & Customs, Intelligence Agency, Armed Forces, Fire Brigade, Universities and other Regulatory Bodies. The program content of the courses and workshops are based on the recommendations of the IAEA documents on the topic. At the end of each event, evaluation questionnaires are distributed allowing a feedback from participants about the quality and effectiveness of training. The biggest challenge of the CENASF is to acquire its own and unique infrastructure with classrooms, testing lab of physical protection equipment and systems, virtual simulators, and specially the recruitment of human resources for technical and administrative support to the training center, allowing it to meet the greater demand for professionals directly or indirectly involved in the security of nuclear and radioactive materials and associated facilities in Brazil. (author)