About 20 legal advisors, officials and experts from seven IAEA Member States in the Latin America and the Caribbean region participated in a virtual regional workshop on nuclear law, held from 12 to 15 July 2021.
Conducted in English, the workshop addressed the elements of a comprehensive national legal framework for the safe, secure and peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, as well as the relevant international legal instruments adopted by and under the auspices of the IAEA in the areas of nuclear safety, security, safeguards and civil liability for nuclear damage.
Anthony Wetherall, who leads the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme, highlighted that “not only has the need for training of officials been identified, but there is a need to provide high-level support to enable policy makers to make informed decisions in view of the specificities of nuclear legislation. Based on feedback, a future sub-regional activity focused on drafting will be useful, given that many countries are at a similar stage in the law making process, face similar challenges and undertake limited activities in the nuclear field.”
An important outcome of the workshop was the identification of needs and modalities for providing support, particularly to enhance national nuclear legal frameworks in the next two years.
National presentations delivered by participants provided an overview of the status of the nuclear legal framework in each country, which reflected that most countries need to become parties to the relevant instruments and make political commitments to the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its supplementary guidance. Many of the represented countries became a member of the IAEA in recent years. Apart from one country with activities covering the entire nuclear fuel cycle, many shared similar needs and faced common challenges to realize the benefits non-power applications. One of the participating countries has specific nuclear legislation in place, while the others are seeking to establish a sound and comprehensive national nuclear legal framework.
“We would like to strengthen our current fragmented legislative and regulatory framework. However, this is challenging due to the complexity of this field and the range of international legal instruments, standards and guidance that need to be considered, as well the cross-cutting aspects at the institutional level,” said Tonya Armstrong, Senior Environmental Protection Officer, Solid Waste & Hazardous Materials Section, Environmental Protection Department in Barbados. According to her, “It was useful for us to learn from the experiences of other island states in the region, which face similar challenges in this area.”
The regional workshop was one in a series of events held within the context of the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme, which includes the Agency’s current technical cooperation project, RLA0067, “Establishing and Enhancing National Legal Frameworks.” The programme covers all areas of nuclear law and includes regional, sub-regional and national activities, which help countries to assess, review and develop nuclear legislation and support adherence to and effective implementation of the relevant international legal instruments.
We would like to strengthen our current fragmented legislative and regulatory framework. However, this is challenging due to the complexity of this field and the range of international legal instruments, standards and guidance that need to be considered, as well the cross-cutting aspects at the institutional level. It was useful for us to learn from the experiences of other island states in the region, which face similar challenges in this area.
