I 'I : •' • - ,1. i- a. 5 "r APRIL/MAY 1999, VOLUME 14, NUMBER 2 (83) INIS-XA-165 XA9950270 M Sfa iT w n ( & A i [3 t & ft JS^ M K vr ft Si "Si #*^ A if1 s /M lAICi STrP\ i States that are parties to the Convention. Sessions included lations - it was nevertheless not- international Convention on the presentation of national ed that all Contracting Parties par- Nuclear Safety are taking "steps reports from Contracting Parties ticipating in the meeting are in the right direction"to achieve on their nuclear safety pro- taking steps in the right direction. and maintain a high level of safe- grammes, specifically focusing on The full Summary Report of ty at nuclear installations. The measures they have taken and the meeting was issued 23 April Convention's Contracting Parties planned to implement the 1999 and is accessible over the met for two weeks in April at Convention in their respective IAEA's WoridAtom Internet ser- IAEA headquarters in Vienna to countries. Each national report vices at http://www.iaea.org. The review progress and plans. The was reviewed and discussed in site additionally includes links to two-week Review Meeting - depth, including the exchange of the full text of the Convention with participation by 45 of the written questions and comments. and the latest status list of Convention's 50 Parties — was In a concluding Summary Contracting Parties. Also acces- the first within the framework of Report, the Contracting Parties sible on the site's NuSafe Web the Convention, which came into noted that the review process pages (www.iaea.org/ns/nusafe) force in 1996 and calls for such had demonstrated the strong are national reports and back- "peer review" meetings to be commitment to the Convention's ground information about the convened at three-year intervals. safety objectives. At the same Review Meeting's organization The Convention's objective is to time, it was noted that there were and planning. achieve and maintain a high lev- variations among Contracting el of nuclear safety worldwide, Parties with regard to the levels through the enhancement of from which they started imple- national measures and interna- mentation of Convention obliga- Eighteen countries around tional cooperation. Chairman of tions, as well as in the resources the world are relying on the meeting was Mr. Lars available nationally for improve- nuclear energy to provide Hoegberg of Sweden. ment programmes in progress. 25% or more of their total The April meeting's main pur- Even though additional steps are electricity needs, based on pose was to review the national required to reach the data reported to the IAEA. nuclear safety programme of Convention's principle objective Nuclear shares of total elec- each Contracting Party, in line - to achieve and maintain a high tricity generation among with State obligations under the level of safety at all nuclear instal- these countries in 1998 ranged from just over 77% in Lithuania to just over 27% in the United Kingdom. In 1998, four new nuclear In April 1999, the United States became the 50th Contracting Party plants were connected to the to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The full list of Parties includes: grid - three in the Republic of Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Korea and one in Slovakia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech and construction started on Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, four new plants in China and Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Japan. Worldwide, 36 new Luxembourg, Mali, Mexico, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, nuclear plants are being built Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, in 14 countries. All told, 31 Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, countries are operating 434 Switzerland,Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States. nuclear plants for electricity To keep abreast of the Convention's status, check the IAEA's generation. See the table and WoridAtom Internet services' section on "Laws/Conventions" at graph on page 8 for more http://www.iaea.org/worldatom. information. 30-22 IIP: In an April address in Sendai, tion and prevention of illicit traf- Japan, IAEA Director General ficking. The full text of his state- Mohamed ElBaradei reviewed ment is accessible over the the major global challenges and Agency's WorldAtom Internet opportunities facing nuclear services at http://www.iaea.org. power. "The global challenge is Other recent statements of the to develop strategies that foster Director General accessible on a sustainable energy future that the site include: will be less dependent on fossil II The Peaceful Uses of sources,"he said in his address Nuclear Energy, statement at to the 32nd meeting of the the Diplomatic Institute, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum. Amman, Jordan, 5 March 1999. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei spoke Nuclear power's future contri- 11 Nuclear Energy in the with visitors attending a special exhibit at the bution, he said, is closely tied to Service of Development and Vienna International Centre in April. The exhib- two key factors - public confi- Peace: The Role of the it focused on the history and achievements of dence in its safe and exclusively International Atomic Energy the United Nations in the field of nuclear disar- peaceful use and the demon- mament. It was organized by three non-gov- Agency, statement at the India ernmental organizations associated with the UN stration of its economic com- Habitat Centre in New Delhi, 19 Department of Public Information - the Veterans petitiveness in the energy February 1999. Against War of Japan, the Veterans for Peace of marketplace. II The Role of the the United States, and Franciscans International - and co-sponsored by the UN Centre for In his remarks, the Director International Atomic Energy Disarmament Affairs and the Non- General focused on four major Agency in Technology Transfer Governmental Committee on Disarmament, topics: nuclear power and the for the Peaceful Use of Nuclear with support from the Permanent Mission of global energy mix; nuclear safe- Energy and the Strengthening Japan to the United Nations. The presentation ty and the importance of public of the Safeguards System. The ofthe exhibitwhich featured photographs and narratives on the UN's efforts over the past half confidence;economic competi- Director General delivered sep- century for a nuclear-weapon-free world, was tiveness and the role of research arate speeches on this subject made by Mr. William Epstein, former Director of and development; and the late last year in Brasilia, Buenos the UN Centre for Disarmament. importance of nuclear verifica- Aires, and Santiago. International symposia, confer- advances, and provide a basis for efficient contribution of MOX ences, and seminars of the IAEA decisions about further research fuel to the operation of LWRs in 1999 include: and development projects. and FBRs and for extensions to & International Symposium H International Symposium other reactor systems. on Isotope Techniques in Water on Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel n International Conference Resources Development and Cycle Technologies for Medium- on the Strengthening of Management, Vienna, Austria, and Long-Term Deployment: Nuclear Safety in Eastern 10-14 May 1999. Issues of fresh- Experience, Advances, Trends, Europe, Vienna, Austria, 14-18 water scarcity and the degradation Vienna, Austria, 17-21 May 1999. June 1999. Following political of its quality are of growing inter- Mixed-oxide fuel, originally changes in Eastern Europe,atten- national concern. Water pollution, developed for fast-breeder reac- tion was centred on the safety of salinization and over-exploitation tors (FBRs), is now mostly used nuclear power plants designed are serious hindrances to sustain- in light-water reactors (LWRs). in the former Soviet Union more able development, and isotope Thirty-four operating LWRs, six than two decades ago. These techniques have shown they play FBRs and one advanced thermal plants were constructed and an important role in combating reactor are fuelled with MOX. operated according to Soviet these problems. Research and Today's MOX fuel technologies safety standards issued in the applications of isotope techniques constitute a well-grounded basis 1960s. The safety approach in water resources development for industrial MOX fuel process- adopted in their design and and related environmental disci- ing and utilization.This sympo- operation was different from plines will be the focus of this sym- sium examines experience and posium. It will review recent prospects for achieving more Continued on page 6 April/May 1999, Vol. 14, No.2 (83) At its meetings beginning 7 June the Director General's proposal 1999 in Vienna, the IAEA Board for a Nuclear Arms Control of Governors will be asked to Verification Fund, the verification approve the Agency's draft reg- of fissile material designated as ular budget for the year 2000. excess by the United States and The budget - calling for zero real Russia, the conclusion of safe- growth with expenditures of US guards agreements and $222.7 million - was submitted Additional Protocols for strength- for review in early May at meet- ened safeguards,and a report by ings of the Board's Programme the Director General on IAEA and Budget Committee. The safeguards in the Democratic budget covers activities in six People's Republic of Korea. major programme areas: nuclear Other items concern the power and the fuel cycle; nuclear Agency's activities related to the On verification matters, the applications; nuclear, radiation, Year 2000 computer problem Board authorized the Director and waste safety; nuclear verifi- (see report, next page) and the General to conclude Additional cation and security of material; Secretariat's preparation of the Protocols for strengthened safe- management of technical coop- medium-term strategy. guards with Norway and the eration; and policy-making, coor- March Board meetings.