Cape Town, South Africa -- In a continent that is witnessing the increasing use of radioactive sources in applications ranging from health and agriculture to industrial activities and, possibly, nuclear power generation, a newly-formed forum for African regulatory bodies is to oversee and coordinate the application of measures for the control and monitoring of nuclear technology while encouraging its peaceful application.
The Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA) was officially presented on 16 December to the international community at a roundtable discussion on the margins of the International Conference on Effective Nuclear Regulatory Systems held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 14-18 December.
"The launching of FNRBA earlier this year is a very positive step in strengthening nuclear safety and security in Africa," says Tomihiro Taniguchi, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safety and Security.
"Networks, such as the FNRBA, can be highly effective mechanisms for sharing, managing and creating nuclear safety and security knowledge."
The challenges facing the FNRBA are manifold, ranging from the need to upgrade Africa´s legislative and regulatory infrastructure, to that of promoting education training and knowledge management. In particular, the recent upsurge in uranium mining in the African continent has highlighted the need for a regulatory infrastructure providing for the protection of people and the environment.
In view of a renewed interest in nuclear power expressed by several African states, the need to develop a regulatory framework for the licensing of nuclear power plants is also seen as an area of priority.
"FNRBA is a regional response to the need to promote nuclear safety and security in Africa," said S.B. Elegba, Chairperson of the FNRBA.
"The IAEA has put a lot of effort into increasing the level of infrastructure in Africa. Now we are consolidating the achievements of this initiative."
The five-day International Conference on Effective Nuclear Regulatory Systems is organized by the IAEA and hosted by the Government of South Africa through the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR). The Cape Town event is the second in a series of meetings that began in 2006 in Moscow, Russia
Background
Open to all regulatory bodies in Africa, FNRBA was launched in March 2009.
Its objectives are to provide:
- a platform for fostering regional cooperation;
- the exchange of expertise;
- information and experience; and
- opportunities for mutual support and coordination of regional initiatives.
FNRBA is also aiming at leveraging the development and optmization of resource utilization.