Contrôle review 135 - Multilateral international relations

The international missions of the Safety Authority were recognised as early as upon its creation in 1973. Because nuclear safety is a national responsibility, it is of the utmost importance that the knowledge and practices in each country be submitted to in-depth peer exchanges so as to reach everywhere the best level of safety.

The dossier of Contrôle 124 was devoted to international bilateral relations. I felt it necessary to supplement it with a dossier devoted to international multilateral relations. Large international multilateral organisations, created at the end of the 50's to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, progressively developed structures in charge of promoting exchanges in the field of nuclear safety. The Safety Authority takes part in numerous activities of these organisations with both objectives of being informed of the practices abroad and of making its own practices known. However, its limited resources lead to select some activities among all those which are proposed, taking into account the specific features of each organisation and paying particular attention not to be involved in activities promoting nuclear energy. Following the Chernobyl accident, the international community felt the need to conclude incentive international conventions recalling the responsibilities borne by the States in the field of nuclear safety. The meeting of the contracting parties to the Convention on nuclear safety in April 1999 showed the high degree of openness with which a large number of countries considered their obligations. Let us hope that this spirit is maintained in the future meetings of this Convention and also prevails for those of the Joint Convention on the safety of spent fuel management and of the safety of radioactive waste management which should soon enter into force. Recently, associations of nuclear Safety Authorities emerged — should we say they abound ? Less formal than multilateral organisations and allowing exchanges as open and fruitful as those during bilateral meetings, I am convinced they have a future.

The dossier hereafter highlights these three aspects with particular emphasis on those which are of particular importance to the Safety Authority.

André-Claude Lacoste