A Road Map for Nuclear Security Culture

Emerged as a concept at the turn of the century, nuclear security culture has evolved into a multifunctional discipline in support of nuclear security. As a subset of organizational culture, it is designed to improve the performance of the human component and make its interface with security technologies and regulations more effective and predictable throughout the entire nuclear infrastructure and its life cycle. The paper attempts to trace the rapid evolution of security culture and its reinforcement by the IAEA throughout a series of training workshops, and development of relevant methodologies such as technical guidance for self-assessment and enhancement, as well as continued efforts at harmonization with safety culture. A major contribution to this process was made by the four Nuclear Security Summits the last of which in Washington DC (2016), adopted five action plans for international organizations and programs involved in further development of nuclear security culture. What has been achieved so far in the promotion of security culture not only offers opportunities for further strengthening nuclear security but also poses new challenges requiring a long-term and coordinated strategy to keep the momentum in the emerging multi-stakeholder environment. To this end, the paper elaborates on a three-tiered road map for nuclear security culture in which the IAEA is expected to play a role of facilitation and coordination. These three tiers include global, national and IAEA. By interacting horizontally and vertically they are designed to promote effectiveness and sustainability of nuclear security culture.