A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded a Sub-Regional Workshop on Law for English-speaking African Member States in Cairo, Egypt. The event was hosted by the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt through the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA). This workshop followed previous workshops for English-speaking African Member States held in 2021 and 2017.
Held over four days from 22 to 25 July 2024, the workshop aimed at strengthening the national nuclear legal frameworks of African Member States and supporting their consideration of joining the relevant international legal instruments on nuclear safety, security, safeguards and liability.
Representatives from 16 African countries attended the event, fostering regional cooperation and providing an opportunity to exchange on issues, challenges, and opportunities in nuclear law, focusing on the international and national legal frameworks.
In his opening remarks, Samy Shaaban Attallah, ENRRA Chairman, highlighted, “Over the course of this workshop, we will delve into a myriad of topics, ranging from international conventions to national legislation, all aimed at fostering a safe and secure nuclear environment within Africa and beyond. The exchange of knowledge and expertise that will transpire in the coming days is not merely an intellectual exercise but a proactive step towards bolstering the effectiveness and implementation of nuclear legislative and regulatory frameworks within our respective nations.”
This event served as an important platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and strengthening of national legal frameworks in line with international legal instruments, standards and guidance. Several Member States requested bilateral meetings to identify their specific national needs in legislative assistance, including awareness raising for decision-makers, policy-makers and parliamentarians, reviews of draft and enacted nuclear legislation, national workshops on nuclear law and training in nuclear law such as the IAEA Nuclear Law Institute.
Daisy Mbugua, lawyer at Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency, stated, “Kenya is committed to advancing its national nuclear legal framework, and this workshop on nuclear law marks a pivotal step in that journey, particularly in supporting our adherence to the relevant international treaties. By strengthening our national nuclear legal framework and aligning it with international legal instruments and standards, we are ensuring the safe, secure, peaceful and responsible use of nuclear energy for the benefit of the people of Kenya”.
On the margins of the Sub-Regional Workshop, a National Workshop was also held for decision-makers and high-level officials of the host country. Tamer Kamar, Head of the Legal Affairs Department at ENRRA, emphasized, “Egypt has benefited from the peaceful applications of atomic energy since the 1950s. Since more recently, we are introducing nuclear power for the first time, we are actively analyzing international conventions that we have not yet joined, including the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, as well as the CPPNM and its Amendment. This event is particularly important as it provides a good opportunity to engage high-level decision-making officials on the subject of nuclear law with IAEA officials.”
The IAEA remains committed to supporting African Member States in developing or enhancing their nuclear law. A sub-regional workshop on nuclear law for Francophone countries is planned for November 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire.
The sub-regional workshop was conducted within the framework of the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme under the Interregional Technical Cooperation Project for Legislative Assistance.
