The Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) – An Overview

The Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) is an informal collaboration among practitioners of nuclear forensics - laboratory scientists, law enforcement personnel, and regulatory officials - who share a common interest in preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear materials. The ITWG was established in 1995-1996 as a result of an initiative of the G-8 (both the 1995 Ottawa Summit and the 1996 Moscow Nuclear Security Summit), largely through the efforts of concerned scientists from the US national laboratories and the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Its establishment reflected heightened concerns over the threat posed by nuclear smuggling. Currently, the ITWG reports informally to the Nuclear Safety and Security Group of the G-8