Antigua and Barbuda is hosting officials from eight Caribbean territories this week for an intensive regional workshop focused on improving nuclear material inventory reporting for states operating under the modified Small Quantities Protocol.

The weeklong training, underway at the Trade Winds Hotel, is being delivered through a partnership involving the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the International Nuclear Safeguards Engagement Programme, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Clarence Pilgrim, said the workshop is both “timely and essential,” noting that even countries with minimal or no nuclear material must meet strict international non-proliferation requirements.

“As Small Island Developing States, we are still bound by global safeguards agreements. Our responsibility to maintain transparency and ensure the peaceful use of all nuclear-related materials remains paramount,” he said.

Dr. Pilgrim added that the workshop provides Caribbean states with a valuable opportunity to build the technical skills needed to meet these obligations effectively, including preparing accurate nuclear material inventories and submitting required reports to the IAEA in a timely manner.

Delegations are attending from St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname, the Bahamas, Grenada, Belize, and the host country, Antigua and Barbuda.

Officials say the training is a major step toward enhancing the region’s readiness to comply fully with the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol, both of which underpin global efforts to prevent the misuse of nuclear technology.