A team of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts today completed a mission to review national nuclear security practices in New Zealand.
At the request of the Government of New Zealand, the IAEA conducted a two-week International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission that reviewed the national nuclear security regime for radioactive material, associated facilities and activities. In addition, the physical protection systems were examined at a number of facilities.
The IPPAS team concluded that New Zealand has taken important steps, including efforts to revise legislation and prepare new regulatory documents, which will strengthen New Zealand’s nuclear security regime. The team identified good practices both at the national level and within the visited facilities. The team proposed recommendations and suggestions to assist New Zealand in its efforts related to nuclear security.
The IAEA team was led by Dr Kristof Horvath, Deputy Director General of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, and included three experts from Australia, the Republic of Korea, the United States, as well as IAEA staff. The team met in Wellington with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Health including the Office of Radiation Safety, the Institute for Environmental Science and Research, the New Zealand Defence Force, the New Zealand Police, and the New Zealand Customs Service. They conducted site visits to a number of facilities that use radioactive material, including a national storage facility, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, and the New Zealand Blood Service.
“New Zealand has taken many steps to establish and strengthen its national nuclear security regime”, said Christina George, Nuclear Security Officer at the IAEA. “New Zealand’s request for an IPPAS mission demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that nuclear security continues to be addressed in a systematic and comprehensive manner”.
“New Zealand was pleased to take the opportunity provided by the IPPAS mission to benchmark against international best practice”, said Deborah Panckhurst, Head of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. “We will consider its recommendations and suggestions to further improve our nuclear security regime.”
Background
The mission was the 69th IPPAS mission conducted by the IAEA since the programme began in 1995. New Zealand was the 44th country which hosted an IPPAS mission.
IPPAS missions are intended to help States strengthen their national nuclear security regime. The missions provide peer advice on implementing international instruments, and IAEA guidance on the protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities.
The missions call upon a team of international experts to assess a nation's system of physical protection, compare it with international best practices and make recommendations for improvement. IPPAS missions are conducted both on a nationwide and facility-specific basis.