Knowledge Retention For Nuclear Safeguards And Non-proliferation: A Necessity For The Next Generations.

To maintain a contextual basis for the savoir-faire on nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation accumulated through decades of experience, it was decided to set-up a working group during the INMM/ESARDA Workshop in Japan in October 2019 on knowledge retention in these fields. This area of work is highly technical, has a strong legal basis and has been developing often in a complex political environment. It is deemed essential that knowledge is retained not only with respect to the tools and techniques deployed in safeguards and non-proliferation but also on the origin of the legal basis with its capabilities and limitations, often the result of long-term discussions and compromises. In most cases, proposed evolutions and related negotiations resulted from recognized shortcomings in the existing situation and previous approaches (like in the case of Iraq), the discovery of undeclared activities (e.g. North Korea, Iran) or of the challenges posed by globalization, such as in the unforeseen dissemination of sensitive technologies and associated knowledge (like in the case of Libya), additional tasks like disarmament verification in South Africa completing the knowledge legacy. All of the above evolved at times of specific political context which influenced the mindset and sensitivities of those who negotiated and finally authorized, or not, the implementation of the agreed verification measures and approaches. The way this Knowledge Retention is approached is by identifying young professionals with relevant technical, legal and political backgrounds and guide them to interview renowned and seasoned international safeguards and non-proliferation experts, to both gather and document the foreground and the tacit knowledge and insights that those experts possess but that might not have been written down or published. A draft canvas for the interviews has been developed and first tests are foreseen to be shortly presented in the paper. The publication summarizes the results of beginning this process and, at the same time raises awareness on the essential role of knowledge retention. It will serve as an invitation, both for young professionals and the seasoned experts, to come forward and volunteer to participate to this initiative which is planned to run over a number of years.