The IAEA hosted a virtual national seminar on topical issues of nuclear law for Sri Lanka last month. Topics presented and discussed ranged from transparency in nuclear law and the legal provisions for the safety and security of radioactive sources to benefits of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), its Amendment and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Management.
“Over the years, Sri Lanka has benefitted from IAEA legislative assistance through various regional and national activities,” said Shanta Thenuwara, Director of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council (AERC) and national coordinator. “However, this is the first concrete step we are taking to involve all stakeholders at national level in starting the process of the implementation of legal instruments, an area of special interest and importance for Sri Lanka.”
More than 30 representatives attended the seminar, from the Sri Lanka AERC, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the IAEA in Vienna, the Attorney General’s Department, Legal Draftsman’s Department, Ministry of Power and the State Ministry of Solar, Wind & Hydro Power Generation Projects Development.
The virtual seminar provided an opportunity to discuss civil liability for nuclear damage and the benefits of the modernized nuclear liability instruments, such as the 1997 Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), which provide a framework for countries in South Asia, including those of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
In his concluding remarks, Anthony Wetherall from the IAEA Office of Legal Affairs noted the importance of adherence to and implementation of the international legal instruments. He reiterated the IAEA’s readiness to continue to assist the country in this regard and in developing and strengthening its national legal framework.
The seminar, implemented in the framework of the IAEA legislative assistance programme, is one of many activities conducted under the Agency’s technical cooperation programme to support Member States in establishing and enhancing their national legal frameworks.
Over the years, Sri Lanka has benefitted from IAEA legislative assistance through various regional and national activities. However, this is the first concrete step we are taking to involve all stakeholders at national level in starting the process of the implementation of legal instruments, an area of special interest and importance for Sri Lanka.”
