monthly newsletter of the uae permanent mission to the iaea_volume 4_issue 3_april/may 2015
DESCRIPTION
Monthly Newsletter April/May 2015 edition: news and highlights on activities between the UAE Government and the Agency, including key events and activities of the Permanent Mission.TRANSCRIPT
www.uae-iaea.org Page 1
PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA
Monthly Newsletter
In this issue:
In Focus
IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano visits UAE– pp. 1-2
Inside Stories
------------------
In Focus
UAE Presents Status of Spent
Fuel and Radioactive Waste
Management at Review
Meeting of the Joint
Convention – p. 1-2
Expert Interview
IAEA expert views on UAE
Nuclear Power Infrastructure–
p. 6-7
Other Stories
2015 NPT Review Conference
Concludes – p.3
Third Coordination Meeting on
UAE Integrated Work Plan for
Nuclear Power Programme – p.
4-5
UAE and Contracting Parties
celebrate the CSC entry into
force – p. 8
Meeting on Pre-Project
Assistance and Project Design
for the ARASIA project concepts
for 2016 – 2017 – p.9
International Experts’ Meeting on
assessment and prognosis in
response to a nuclear or
radiological emergency – p. 10
Vol.4, Issue 3
April – May 2015
In this Issue
Tel: +43 715 0028
Fax: +43 715 0028 - 5555
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.uae-iaea.org
Plenary of the IAEA 5th Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention (Photo: Dean
Calma/IAEA)
Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive
Waste Management
UAE presents status of spent nuclear fuel and
radioactive waste management at Review Meeting of the Joint Convention
On 14 May 2015, the UAE presented
the status of its plans for managing
spent nuclear fuel and radioactive
waste during a meeting at the IAEA
headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
The Fifth Review Meeting of the
Contracting Parties to the Joint
Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel
Management and on the Safety of
Radioactive Waste Management took
place from 11 to 22 May.
As a Contracting Party, the UAE had
submitted its Second National Report
to the Review Meeting, outlining the
progress made since the last review
meeting in regards to its obligations
under the Joint Convention.
(continued on page 2)
The 2nd National Report is made public
on FANR website (read full text)
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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA
The UAE’s First National Report was submitted in May
2012, which described the basic policy and legal
framework being established by the UAE for spent fuel
management and radioactive waste management
(read full text).
The UAE’s presentation of its Second National Report
delivered a detailed overview on progress made
since the last Review Meeting. It outlined the
regulatory framework so far established to protect
UAE residents and the environment from radiological
and other hazards potentially posed by spent nuclear
power plant fuel and radioactive waste.
The presentation also described the UAE’s strategy
and plans for managing radioactive waste and spent
fuel prior to its disposal.
The UAE delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador
Hamad Alkaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to
the IAEA, and supported by senior experts from the
Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).
Throughout the two weeks, the UAE delegation
participated actively in the discussions of its own
country group, as well as group sessions of other
Contracting Parties, posing questions and sharing its
experience.
More than 600 delegates from 61 Contracting Parties
discussed measures to enhance the level of safety in
radioactive waste and spent fuel management, and
deliberated on national strategies towards the
implementation of the Convention’s obligations.
Some of the major points highlighted during the
Review Meeting included staffing, implementing
holistic management strategies and increasing public
engagement.
The Joint Convention aims to achieve and maintain
the highest level of safety in facilities for the disposal of
spent fuel from nuclear power plants and radioactive
waste. It pursues the establishment and maintenance
for long term measures to safeguard against potential
hazards with radiological impact in such disposal
facilities.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (centre) addressed the participants at the closing session of the Fifth Review
Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive
Waste Management, which concluded at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna on 22 May 2015.
(Photo: G. Siraky/IAEA)
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2015 NPT Review Conference
The 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) convened from 27
April until 22 May 2015 at the United Nations headquarters in
New York, the United States.
More than 190 States Parties, as well as observer States, worked
to assess the implementation of the Treaty’s provisions. They
were joined by over 1,000 non-governmental representatives
from 121 organizations from around the world, primarily
representing a range of peace and disarmament interests.
Minister of State, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, headed the UAE
delegation, which also included the UAE Permanent
Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency,
Hamad Al-Kaabi, and UAE Permanent Representative to the
United Nations, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh.
In his statement to the conference, Dr. Al Jaber emphasized
that stemming from its commitment to ensuring global peace
and security, the UAE attaches high importance to the Treaty
on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He highlighted
that the UAE supports the right of countries to the peaceful use
of nuclear energy while adhering to the principle of
transparency and abiding by the highest standards of security
and safety, citing the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program as
a role model.
Minister Al Jaber further emphasized the importance of
reinforcing the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA)
capacity to support the expansion of peaceful nuclear
programs, calling for developing measures to strengthen the
objectives of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including the
adoption of the Additional Protocol to the Comprehensive
Safeguards Agreement.
The Minister stressed the need to adopt practical steps toward
establishing a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East.
The UAE delegation provided the Government’s views through
several national statements, and the joint-submission of various
working papers relating to different aspects of nuclear
disarmament, nonproliferation, and the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy. The conference failed, however, to adopted a
final consensus document as a result of dispute over the way
forward in establishing a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ)in the
Middle East.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the core component of the global
non-proliferation regime and establishes a comprehensive, legally-binding framework for the
global elimination of nuclear weapons.
Plenary of the 2015 NPT Review Conference in
New York
All official documents of the Conference
available here
http://www.un.org/en/conf/npt/2015/working-
papers.shtml
NPT five-year Review Cycle
2010: NPT Review Conference, New York, USA
2012: NPT Preparatory Committee, Vienna, Austria
2013: NPT Preparatory Committee, Geneva,
Switzerland
2014: NPT Preparatory Committee, New York, USA
2015: NPT Review Conference, New York, USA
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The third annual meeting to review the status of the
implementation of an Integrated Work Plan (IWP) for
building nuclear power infrastructure in the United Arab
Emirates took place from 15 to 16 April 2015, at the IAEA’s
headquarters in Vienna.
The 2015 IWP Coordination Meeting brought together
representatives from the relevant UAE institutions and
IAEA technical experts. The meeting reviewed the
progress achieved in 2014 by national counterparts, in
respect to developing nuclear power infrastructure. The
UAE counterparts included representatives of the Federal
Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the Emirates
Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), Khalifa University
Third Coordination Meeting on the UAE Integrated Work Plan for its
Nuclear Power Programme
Developing Nuclear Power Infrastructure
Since the development and adoption of the UAE Integrated Work Plan (IWP) in 2013, the IAEA
expert’s team meets annually with national counterparts. The coordination meeting, which takes
place at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, reviews the progress in the implementation of the IWP
and when required, updates the plan in accordance with recommendations from international
experts and IAEA missions.
and the UAE Permanent Mission. During this two-
day coordination meeting, participants discussed
the progress in the national nuclear power
programme and reviewed the implementation of
the agreed-upon IWP activities and also finalized
future plans for IAEA assistance to the UAE
programme.
The IAEA team expressed appreciation for the
opportunity to work with the UAE on newly
developed tools such the IAEA peer reviews and
learn in a process how these tools would work in
practice, in light of assisting newcomer countries in
the development of a nuclear energy programme.
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“We thank the UAE for sharing its experience on
developing a nuclear energy programme. There are
many countries looking at the UAE’s experience and
approach,” said Anne Starz, IAEA Nuclear Energy
Department.
The IWP meeting specifically
reviewed the implementation of
activities under the IWP in 2014, which
constitutes 24 activities in
accordance with the Key
Infrastructure Issues under the IAEA
Milestones Approach.
These activities include the Agency’s
assistance to the UAE nuclear power
programme through review missions
and capacity building in the areas of
nuclear safety, safeguards, regulatory
framework, radiation protection,
human resources development,
environmental protection,
emergency planning, security and
physical protection and radioactive
waste management.
The IAEA experts noted advanced progress on the
implementation of the IWP, which already achieved
milestones planned for 2015.
The UAE hosted a number of review missions including
the Integrated Regulatory Review Service follow-up
mission in January 2015 and
an Emergency
Preparedness Review
Service mission in March
2015.
The initial IWP was signed
between the UAE and IAEA
on 5 June 2013, to support
the implementation of the
national nuclear power
programme. All activities,
issues and the five-year work
schedule outlined under the
IWP 2013-2017 are integrated
within national Technical
Cooperation (TC) projects.
The last IWP work-plan
updated was in February
2014.
“Activities implemented under the
UAE Integrated Work Plan had
tripled in 2014 in comparison to the
previous year and more than 70%
of these activities were supported
through IAEA Technical
Cooperation projects. The UAE
national TC Programme is one of
the successful technical
cooperation collaborations in the
region.
~ Najat Mokhtar, TCAP Director
Group Photo of UAE delegation and IAEA staff during the 3rd IWP Coordination Meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna,
15 April (Photo: IAEA)
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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA
UAE Nuclear Power Infrastructure: Expert Interview
IAEA Expert Talks about UAE Nuclear Energy Programme
The close partnership between the UAE and the IAEA
helped the country to develop a national nuclear
infrastructure in line with the Agency’s Milestones
Approach. Currently, the UAE has reached the last phase,
Milestone 3, with its three nuclear reactors under
construction. Anne Starz, Acting Section Head for Nuclear
Infrastructure Development of the IAEA Department of
Nuclear Energy, tells us more about the IAEA support to the
UAE nuclear power programme: tools made available by
the Agency to support the national nuclear infrastructure
development, the Agency’s view on the country’s
approach and elements of success towards the peaceful
use of nuclear energy.
Anne Starz, IAEA Department of Nuclear
Energy (Photo: T. Yasar, IAEA)
With no existing nuclear expertise at the time of its
decision to pursue nuclear energy, the UAE
government has set itself a challenge to deploy a
national programme in line with international
standards, especially in such a complex field. What
is the IAEA’s assessment today of the UAE’s nuclear
power infrastructure as a nuclear newcomer and
the current progress made on construction of its first
Nuclear Power Plant?
The UAE has been cooperating closely with the IAEA
on developing a national nuclear power programme
and has generally followed IAEA guidance, as
documented in the IAEA publication "Milestones in the
Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear
Power" (IAEA Nuclear Energy Series NG-G-3.1).
This holistic approach includes three phases (decide-
prepare-construct) and three milestones (hence the
name) to be achieved by a country in developing its
nuclear infrastructure, while considering 19
infrastructure issues to be addressed in each phase,
for example national position, nuclear safety,
legislative and regulatory frameworks, human
resource development, stakeholder involvement and
others.
In January 2011, the UAE hosted an IAEA Integrated
Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission. An INIR
mission is a holistic review of a country’s nuclear power
programme conducted by a team of IAEA and
international experts. This mission was held successfully
and found that the status of infrastructure was in good
shape for that stage of the nuclear power development.
Between 2011 and now, several other IAEA review
services have supported the UAE’s programme, such as
the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS), the
Emergency Preparedness Review Service (EPREV), an
IAEA Safeguards Advisory Service Mission (ISSAS), and
others with similar results.
The IAEA plays an important role in assisting Member
States that are starting nuclear power programmes,
including the UAE. What are the areas in which the
IAEA can provide assistance to the UAE in
developing/advancing its national nuclear
infrastructure, especially as the UAE moves to the
Operation and Commissioning phase?
As I said earlier, the UAE nuclear power programme is
consistent with the Milestones approach and has close
cooperation with the IAEA. (continued on page 7)
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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA
On average, there are more than 30 activities
between the IAEA and the UAE per year.
Currently, as the UAE prepares for commissioning, the
IAEA is providing support in particular on the
readiness of the operating organization, regulatory
body, and emergency preparedness organization as
well as others. for the operation of the nuclear power
plant.
Some of the most important activities are peer
review services, which bring together international
experts to discuss aspects of a country’s nuclear
programme and make recommendations for further
progress. The UAE has agreed to pilot an INIR mission,
scheduled for 2016, as a last review of the UAE’s
nuclear infrastructure development and the
readiness for operation, before the first reactor at the
Barakah site will be commissioned.
Have there been any new tools that the IAEA has
used for the first time on the UAE's nuclear power
project and could the UAE’s approach be
recommended to other countries embarking on a
nuclear power programme for the first time?
It is fair to say that the IAEA has also benefited greatly
from this cooperation; as the UAE is the first country in
28 years to start construction on a first nuclear power
plant, we have worked closely with the UAE to
understand how countries starting programmes
today are responding to different challenges than in
the past.
The UAE is at the leading edge of these “nuclear
newcomers” and has been actively sharing its
experiences with the IAEA and the international
community.
As the IAEA developed or adapted its services and
guidance to respond to the needs of countries
starting nuclear power programmes, the UAE has
been one of the first to use these services and tools,
as the “newcomer” with the most advanced NPP
project.
One way the UAE has demonstrated its leadership is
by making the results of its INIR mission public.
The INIR Mission in 2011 identified several areas where
the UAE approach has achieved good practices for
other countries starting nuclear power programmes
to consider. These good practices include, for
example, cooperation without compromising the
independence between the regulatory bodies and
utility, human resource development, a well-
structured integrated management system, and a
strong safety culture.
The UAE has also implemented an extensive
stakeholder involvement programme that provides
transparency and confidence for the general public.
Your office interacts with many newcomer
countries. What are your impressions surrounding
the UAE experience and where/how can the UAE
experience support the IAEA and other Member
States?
The IAEA has been supporting the UAE in building its
nuclear infrastructure, but the IAEA is also being
supported by the UAE. Experts from the UAE are
participating in many IAEA technical meetings and
workshops where they share valuable information
and experiences with other Member States.
The UAE and the Agency are also cooperating on
preparing a Case Study document, to be published
by the IAEA, on the UAE experience in building its
national nuclear infrastructure.
This case study explains the approaches adapted by
the UAE to be successful in developing a safe, secure
and sustainable nuclear power programme.
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Establishing Global Nuclear Liability Regime
UAE and Contracting Parties celebrate the entry into force of the
Convention on Supplementary Compensation
The Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) is an international
treaty which was developed as an overarching umbrella for international liability conventions,
supporting the goal of a global nuclear liability regime.
On April 15, the Convention on
Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear
Damage (CSC) entered into force with the
joining of Japan to the Convention.
As Japan became the 6th Contracting State
of the Convention, Parties gather at the UN
headquarters in Vienna to celebrate its entry
into force.
The event to mark this historical moment for
the Convention was co-organized by the
Permanent Missions of all six original
Contracting Parties: Argentina, Japan,
Morocco, Romania, the United Arab Emirates
and the United States of America.
The celebration was marked with “Kagami-
Biraki”, the sake-barrel breaking ceremony,
an old Japanese tradition that symbolizes the
importance of this event.
“International nuclear liability
conventionssuch as the CSC, provide a
framework which is consistent with the UAE’s
devoted (repeated word) approach in
developing a responsible nuclear energy
programme,” said Ambassador Alkaabi
during the opening remarks of the event.
The UAE ratified the CSC on 17 July 2014. The
CSC aims at establishing a worldwide liability
regime to supplement and enhance
measures provided in the current nuclear
liability conventions, with a view to increase
the scope and amount of compensation
available for nuclear damage.
Ambassadors of six original State Parties to the CSC join hands
after the Sake-Barrel breaking ceremony, IAEA headquarters in
Vienna, 15 April (Photo: Japanese Mission)
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Pre-Project Assistance and Project Design for the ARASIA
Project Concepts for 2016-2017
UAE national stakeholders took part in the Regional
Meeting on Pre-Project Assistance and Project Design
for the ARASIA (Asia and the Pacific) Project Concepts
for 2016-2017, held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna
from 31 March to 1 April 2015.
More than 40 national coordinators from nine
countries under the ARASIA agreement worked
together with the IAEA Secretariat on finalization of
the design of five proposed project concepts for the
region, which were submitted afterwards for the TC
Programme cycle 2016-2017.
The UAE participates in ARASIA projects focusing on
areas such as upgrading the competence of
Regulatory bodies; human resource
development in emergency response and
preparedness; supporting the development of quality
management system for SSDLs; investigation of air
pollutants in urban environments; and enhancing
crop and biomass production and reducing land and
water quality degradation.
UAE counterparts from the Federal Authority for
Nuclear Regulation (FANR) and the National
Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management
Authority (NCEMA) contributed to the meeting's
discussions related to emergency preparedness and
response as well as on SSDL. These new designed
projects are in the finalization phase, and are
planned to start in January 2016.
IAEA Member States from the ARASIA region and IAEA staff of the Technical Cooperation
department meet to review newly designed TC projects and define future activities.
Group photo of the meeting participants from ARASIA countries and IAEA staff, Vienna (Photo: IAEA)
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June 8-12, IAEA Board of
Governors, Vienna Austria
June 22-26, CTBTO Science and
Technology Conference,
Vienna, Austria
UAE Provides Experts to the IAEA
About the Permanent Mission
Established in 2008, the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) acts as the main liaison between the UAE Government and the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as the Preparatory
Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
(CTBTO) in Vienna, Austria. The UAE has been a member of the IAEA since
1976. The Government signed the CTBT in 1996 and ratified the Treaty in
2000. Through its daily engagement with these international organizations
and its effective diplomacy, the Permanent Mission works to advance the
interests of the UAE Government in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear
energy. It facilitates close cooperation on nuclear safety, nuclear security,
non-proliferation, safeguards, technical cooperation, and the
implementation of relevant international instruments.
Permanent Mission of the United Arab
Emirates to the International Atomic
Energy Agency, Vienna
Chimanistrasse 36,
1190 Vienna, Austria
Tel: (+43 1) 715 00 28
Fax: (+43 1) 715 00 28 – 5555
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.uae-iaea.org
Follow us: @UAE_IAEA @UAE_IAEA
UAE Permanent Mission to IAEA
International Experts’ Meeting on
Assessment and Prognosis in Response to a
Nuclear or Radiological Emergency
From 20 to 24 April, a UAE delegation from the Federal Authority for Nuclear
Regulation (FANR) shared the organization’s experience in developing its
national assessment and prognosis capabilities in response to a nuclear or
radiological emergency during an international experts’ forum in Vienna.
Organized by the IAEA, the International Experts’ Meeting on Assessment and
Prognosis in Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency brought together
around 200 participants from more than 70 IAEA Member States and
international organizations to discuss issues, challenges and solutions related to
the assessment and prognosis process in response to a nuclear or radiological
emergency. The UAE participants shared the Regulator’s perspective in the
development of a radiological and nuclear emergency dose assessment
programme in an embarking nation.
The meeting also provided information which would assist FANR/UAE in the future development of emergency planning
programmes and procedures. It additionally provided a clear understanding of the role of the IAEA International
Emergency Center for data sharing and evaluation during events and exercises.
The UAE’s Regulator FANR works with national authorities and the IAEA in developing capabilities for radiological and
nuclear emergency response mechanisms in the UAE. From 21 to 31 March 2015, FANR received the IAEA Emergency
Preparedness Review Service (EPREV) mission, which examined the UAE’s progress in preparing the necessary response
measures in the event of a nuclear emergency at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. The Plant is currently under
construction.
The UAE’s emergency response plan involves a coordinated effort from a variety of UAE entities working intensively to
have all emergency preparation and response measures in place and well-tested before the first nuclear fuel arrives at
the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, whose operation is planned for 2016.
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