Top governmental leaders of Costa Rica and Chile have demonstrated commitment to nuclear and radiation safety, laying the groundwork for continued progress, IAEA Deputy Director General Juan Carlos Lentijo said following a May 2017 visit to the two countries.
In the Republic of Costa Rica, Mr Lentijo met President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera and Minister of Science, Technology and Telecommunications, Carolina Vásquez Soto and other government ministers and senior officials in the parliament and Supreme Court. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that a culture for safety widely practiced at all levels, from the government to laboratory floors and other places where radiation sources are used.
“When it comes to nuclear and radiation matters, safety comes first,” he said. “Nuclear and radiation technologies can be immensely beneficial in fields such as medicine, agriculture and industry, but a good level of safety is an essential component of using them.”
In Chile, Mr Lentijo visited facilities including a forensic laboratory in which police use nuclear techniques to analyse and preserve evidence used in criminal investigations and met the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Edgardo Riveros Marín; the Under-Secretary for Energy, Jimena Jara Quilodrán; the Under-Secretary for Public Health, Jaime Eduardo Burrows Oyarzún, and officials from the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission.
He welcomed Chile’s plans to strengthen its regulatory system for nuclear and radiation safety, and said an IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS), planned for 2018, would support the country in this work.
“The upcoming IRRS mission will support Chile by providing an in-depth comprehensive review conducted not only by IAEA experts but also by other top experts from around the world,” Mr Lentijo said. “Many countries have used their IRRS mission reports to develop action plans to strengthen their regulatory systems and fill any gaps, and I welcome Chile’s intention to do the same.”
