The IAEA is launching a third series of webinars in nuclear law in response to the growing demand for legislative assistance, particularly from embarking countries. Starting on 24 April 2025, the new series will focus on key issues and recent developments under the IAEA’s Legislative Assistance Programme, helping policymakers, decisionmakers, and stakeholders worldwide to develop robust national nuclear legal frameworks.
The new series builds on the success of the 2021-2022 Webinar Series on Nuclear Law. “In an ever-changing global landscape, nuclear law remains foundational to ensuring all can benefit from the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology”, said Peri Lynne Johnson, Assistant Director General and Legal Advisor, Office of Legal Affairs. “This new webinar series is aimed at enhancing knowledge and awareness, and providing participants with insights into the role and importance of nuclear law in light of contemporary challenges and opportunities.”
Around 1000 government officials with policy, legal, regulatory and technical backgrounds from almost 100 countries attended the 2021-2022 Webinar Series. Held from October 2021 to August 2022, the series featured eight sessions covering, inter alia, updates in nuclear law; the role of national nuclear law in establishing a regulatory framework, questions of decommissioning and radioactive waste and spent fuel management under nuclear law, radioactive sources and liability for damage, updates in the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection for Nuclear Material, small modular reactors (SMRs), the legal framework for the management of transboundary nuclear risk, and openness and transparency in international and national nuclear law.
The series will include five webinars addressing:
- the interface between safety and security in nuclear law;
- the pursuit of the global nuclear liability regime;
- the IAEA’s tailored approach to nuclear law;
- the legal framework of SMRs and civil marine-based nuclear applications;
- the experiences of the IAEA’s University Partnership Programme on nuclear law.
The peer-led sessions will provide a general overview of each topic, followed by an interactive Q&A to facilitate engagement with participants and allow experts to share further experiences in these areas.
This series is being implemented within the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of joining the relevant international legal instruments and developing comprehensive national nuclear legislation. The Programme also provides bilateral legislative drafting assistance to Member States, as well as workshops and advanced training on nuclear law.
The webinar series is open only to government officials and stakeholders interested in law and policy. It will be especially beneficial for Member States with limited or no participation in the relevant international legal instruments adopted under IAEA auspices and those in the process of updating their national nuclear legal frameworks.
The schedule is provided below. More details on the new series can be found here.
