Open-Ended Meeting of Technical and Legal Experts for Sharing Information on States Implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources

The Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) presents its compliments to the IAEA’s Member States and has the honour to draw their attention to the Open-Ended Meeting of Technical and Legal Experts for Sharing Information on States’ Implementation of the Code of  Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources (hereinafter referred to as "event") to be held at the IAEA's Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from 29 May to 2 June 2023.

The purpose of the event is sharing information on implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its supplementary guidance and summarising the implementation practices taking into account that the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of  Radioactive Sources was approved by the Board of Governors 20 years ago.

The event will be held in English.

Introduction

The Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources (hereinafter referred to as the “Code”) was approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors in 2003 and endorsed by IAEA General Conference the same year in resolution GC(47)/RES/7.B. Since then, 144 States have made policy statements regarding their implementation of the Code in line with resolutions GC(47)/RES/7.B. The supplementary Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources (hereinafter referred to as the “Import-Export Guidance”) was initially endorsed by the General Conference in resolution GC(48)/RES/10.D. It was revised and endorsed by the General Conference in resolution GC(55)/RES/9.

To date, 128 States have notified the Director General of their intention to act, as appropriate, in a harmonized manner in accordance with the Import-Export Guidance. Moreover, 148 States have nominated a point of contact to facilitate the exchange of information on the import and export of radioactive sources. The Guidance on the Management of the Disused Radioactive Sources (hereinafter referred to as the “Disused Sources Guidance”) was endorsed by the General Conference in resolution GC(61)/RES/8. To date, 50 States have notified the Director General of their political support of the Disused Sources Guidance.

In 2006, the IAEA Board of Governors endorsed a proposal for a process to share information on States’ implementation of the Code and its associated  Guidance, as set out in Annex 2 to IAEA document GOV/2006/40-GC(50)/3.1 In its resolution GC(50)/RES/10, the General Conference also recognized the value of information exchange on national approaches to controlling radioactive sources and took note of the Board’s endorsement of the proposal. 

In resolution GC(65)/RES/8 on Nuclear and Radiation Safety, the General Conference requests the Secretariat to continue to foster information exchange on implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources and its Guidance on the Management of Disused Radioactive Sources. It is in the above-mentioned context that the Secretariat is organizing this Open-ended Meeting for Technical and Legal Experts on States’ Implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its Supplementary Guidance (hereinafter referred to as the “event”).

Objectives

The main objective of the event is to promote a wide exchange of information on national implementation of the Code and supplementary Guidance.
Noting the legally non-binding nature of the Code and Guidance, and the voluntary nature of the process, such an exchange of information will:

a. Assist States in their national implementation of the Code and supplementary Guidance, by enabling them to learn from the experiences of others and to evaluate their own progress in implementing the Code and supplementary Guidance;

b. Summarise the Code and supplementary Guidance implementation practices taking into account that the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors 20 years ago;

c. Increase the knowledge of States concerning the capability of other States to manage Category 1, 2, and 3 radioactive sources in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Code, and facilitate the application of the import and export provisions of the Code and of the Import- Export Guidance, as well as the disused sources provisions of the Code and of the Disused Sources Guidance;

d. Enhance the IAEA Secretariat’s awareness of the implementation of the Code and supplementary Guidance, which will assist the Secretariat in the planning of the IAEA’s activities under its Regular Budget and technical cooperation programmes; and e. Invite and encourage more States to implement, and make a political commitment to, the Code and supplementary Guidance. 

Taking into account that the Code was approved by the Board of Governors 20 years ago, participants may wish to focus National Presentations and Country Group discussions on the following topics: 

• Summary of the States’ progress in the Code implementation from the date of political commitment;
• Update on States’ Code implementation since 2019;
• Specific areas where Code provisions could be enhanced based on States’ implementation experience and/or evolving trends;
• Radioactive sources import and export;

Disused sources safety and security including legal basis; financial provisions and storage and disposal facilities;

• Safety-security interface in training, authorization and inspection;
• Pandemic and States’ adaptation of regulatory framework for safety and security of radioactive sources; and Notable radioactive source safety and security practices for implementation consideration by other States.
• The main output of the event will be clear recommendations on further enhancements to assist in ensuring the safe and secure management of radioactive sources worldwide.

Target Audience

The event is primarily intended for legal and technical experts from States involved in the safe and secure management of radioactive sources, and in the national implementation of the Code and its supplementary Guidance. Participants should have experience in the establishment, implementation, and supervision of provisions for the safety and security of radioactive sources. States are invited to designate one or more participants for this event.
Participants wishing to present national papers to share their experiences are encouraged to provide these to the Secretariat eight weeks in advance of the event to facilitate their circulation. The submission and presentation of a national paper is one of the conditions for providing financial support to participants. Unless participants indicate otherwise, the papers will be made available to other nominated participants in advance of the event. Participants who do not wish to submit papers in advance, but still wish to give a presentation at the event, are kindly requested to notify the Secretariat of their intention to do so in advance. Participants are encouraged to use Guidelines Regarding National Papers on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and Its Associated Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources when preparing their national papers. Summarising of the achievements in implementation of Code and its supplementary Guidance starting from the date of political commitment is welcomed. However, participants may choose to discuss any issues relevant to the Code and supplementary Guidance in their papers.
Participants wishing to share their experiences relating to implementation approaches for the Code and supplementary Guidance, in a manner that fulfils or exceeds the current guidance contained in the Code and Guidance, are encouraged to provide:

• Papers on implementation approaches for the provisions of the Code and Guidance; and/or
• Presentations on implementation approaches for the provisions of the Code and Guidance.

Several implementation approaches concerning different topical areas from the Code and supplementary Guidance can be covered in one paper. Each implementation approach described in the paper should include a detailed description (under 500 words), lessons learned in the course of implementing provisions of the Code and supplementary Guidance and, if applicable, evidence of the implementation approach used by the country.

The processes and methodology applied should be worthy of the attention of other States in their efforts to implement the provisions of the Code and supplementary Guidance. 

Files of the presentations and papers should be provided to the Secretariat as soon as possible in order to facilitate their analysis and dissemination.

Participation and Registration

All persons wishing to participate in the event have to be designated by an IAEA Member State or should be members of organizations that have been invited to attend.
In order to be designated by an IAEA Member State, participants are requested to send the Participation Form (Form A) to their competent national authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission to the IAEA or National Atomic Energy Authority) for onward transmission to the IAEA as soon as possible. Participants who are members of an organization invited to attend are requested to send the Participation Form (Form A) through their organization to the IAEA by the above deadline. Designations received after the deadline or applications sent directly by individuals or by private institutions cannot be considered. Prospective participants intending to provide a paper and/or give a presentation, or to apply for funding, should indicate this at the same time as they submit their designation.
Selected participants will be informed in due course on the procedures to be followed with regard to administrative and financial matters.
 

Participants are hereby informed that the personal data they submit will be processed in line with the Agency’s Personal Data and Privacy Policy and is collected solely for the purpose(s) of reviewing and assessing the application and to complete logistical arrangements where required. The IAEA may also use the contact details of Applicants to inform them of the IAEA’s scientific and technical publications, or the latest employment opportunities and current open vacancies at the IAEA. These secondary purposes are consistent with the IAEA’s mandate.

Expenditures and Grants

No registration fee is charged to participants.
The IAEA is generally not in a position to bear the travel and other costs of participants in the event. The IAEA has, however, limited funds at its disposal to help meet the cost of attendance of certain participants. Upon specific request, such assistance may be offered to one or two participants per country provided that, in the IAEA’s view, the participant(s) will make an important contribution to the event, including through the submission of a national paper or presentation and the submission of an implementation approaches paper.
The application for financial support should be made at the time of designating the participant(s) and submitted by the competent national authority to the IAEA as soon as possible.

Visas

Participants who require a visa to enter Austria should submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of Austria at least four weeks before they travel to Austria. Since Austria is a Schengen State, persons requiring a visa will have to apply for a Schengen visa. In States where Austria has no diplomatic mission, visas can be obtained from the consular authority of a Schengen Partner State representing Austria in the country in question.

Venue

The event will be held specifically in Board Room A at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) where the IAEA’s Headquarters are located, and will start at 10.00 a.m. on Monday, 29 May 2023, and end in the afternoon on Friday, 2 June 2023. Participants must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Participants are advised to arrive at Checkpoint 1/Gate 1 of the VIC one hour before the start of the event on the first day in order to allow for timely registration. Participants will need to present an official photo identification document in order to be admitted to the VIC premises.