Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) holds Plenary in Finland

MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
http://formin.finland.fi

Press release 153/2015
11 June 2015

Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) holds Plenary in Finland

The Plenary Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, GICNT will be held in Helsinki's Finlandia Hall 16–17 June, 2015. The heads of the delegations are high-ranking civil servants. In addition, nearly 200 experts from different fields representing 62 countries and five international organisations have registered to attend the meeting.

The Plenary Meeting is the highest decision-making body of the initiative, in which the focal areas of the activities for the next two years will be set.

In January, a three-day exercise called "Northern Lights" was held in Helsinki, bringing together nuclear experts as well as police, customs, and border officials from 25 countries to learn about ways to identify radioactive and nuclear materials that have fallen into the wrong hands. 

GICNT is an initiative launched jointly by the United States and Russia in 2006 aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring, transporting, and using nuclear materials or radioactive substances, or explosives that contain them. The purpose is to strengthen the national preparedness of partner countries and to improve possibilities for international cooperation.At present 86 countries are in GICNT and United States and Russia are its co-chairs. International expert meetings and exercises are organised within the framework of the initiative.

The English-language website of the initiative is: www.gicnt.org.

Further information: Klaus Korhonen, Ambassador for Arms Control, tel. +358 295 351 828, Lauri Hirvonen, Counsellor, tel. +358 295 351 794 and Mikko Räkköläinen, Project Assistant, tel. +358 295 351 807