Three IAEA Member States file legal documents for nuclear safety, security

Monaco, Syria and Bolivia, three Member States to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recently filed legal documents related to nuclear material protection, nuclear safety, spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management at a meeting of the IAEA General Conference.

Specifically, the conference focused on the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS), and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.

First adopted in 1979, the CPPNM involves the protection of nuclear facilities and nuclear material for domestic use, storage and transport. It also expands penalties related to stolen nuclear material while introducing new offenses, including threatening to sabotage a nuclear facility.

After depositing his country’s CPPNM ratification documents, Bolivian Permanent Representative to the IAEA Victor Alfredo Veltzé Michel stated he was pleased to hand over the instrument signed by Bolivia’s president, which contributed to nuclear security.

Monaco’s Permanent IAEA Representative Isabelle Berro Amadeï was also on hand to deposit her country’s CPPNM instrument of acceptance.

Entered into force in 1996, the CNS was drafted in order to commit states operating land-based civil nuclear power plants to maintain a high level of safety by instituting international safety benchmarks for states to abide by. Bassam Sabbagh, Permanent Representative to the IAEA from Syria, was on hand to deposit Syria’s CNS document.

“Ratifying these treaties is important for Member States, but even more vital is their implementation, for which the IAEA stands ready to help,” IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano said.