A regional meeting to review progress and challenges in establishing an effective compliance assurance regime for transport safety has taken place in Suva, Fiji, from 1 to 5 December, 2015. The meeting, organised by the IAEA in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Fiji, brought together 18 representatives from five IAEA Member States (Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu) and two non-Member States (Kiribati and Solomon Islands). The goal of the meeting was to assess progress made in establishing, and further developing where possible, an effective regulatory infrastructure and compliance assurance regime for the safe transport of radioactive materials.
The week long regional meeting, which was facilitated by IAEA experts, was highly interactive. Participants took part in a series of practical exercises in which they had to select the appropriate transport packages, respond to a transport incident involving a transport package, and use radiation monitoring equipment to determine the consequences. In addition, a site visit to the seaport of Suva allowed participants to examine and observe the setting for the receipt of dangerous goods at the port.
Progress was also made towards the establishment of a transport safety network for mutual support in the region. Participants expressed support for the formation of a Regional Network for Transport Safety in the Pacific Islands, and a Regional Action Plan developed during the meeting outlined the next steps for the formation of this network.
At the close of the meeting, it was agreed that significant progress in improving compliance with transport safety safety guidelines had been made by some countries; however, significant challenges still exist for most countries in the region. These included a lack of national radiation safety experts, as well as a lack of national radioactive material inventories. In addition, regulations on radioactive material are inadequate, radiation monitoring equipment is insufficient, and training in the use of equipment is limited. Participants noted that radiation safety, specifically the safe transport of radioactive material, is still not a priority for many countries in the region as they face many other pressing issues.
