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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA

Monthly Newsletter

In this issue:

In Focus

IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano visits UAE– pp. 1-2

Inside Stories

------------------

In Focus

UAE Presents Status of Spent

Fuel and Radioactive Waste

Management at Review

Meeting of the Joint

Convention – p. 1-2

Expert Interview

IAEA expert views on UAE

Nuclear Power Infrastructure–

p. 6-7

Other Stories

2015 NPT Review Conference

Concludes – p.3

Third Coordination Meeting on

UAE Integrated Work Plan for

Nuclear Power Programme – p.

4-5

UAE and Contracting Parties

celebrate the CSC entry into

force – p. 8

Meeting on Pre-Project

Assistance and Project Design

for the ARASIA project concepts

for 2016 – 2017 – p.9

International Experts’ Meeting on

assessment and prognosis in

response to a nuclear or

radiological emergency – p. 10

Vol.4, Issue 3

April – May 2015

In this Issue

Tel: +43 715 0028

Fax: +43 715 0028 - 5555

E-mail: general@uae-iaea.org

Web: www.uae-iaea.org

Plenary of the IAEA 5th Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention (Photo: Dean

Calma/IAEA)

Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive

Waste Management

UAE presents status of spent nuclear fuel and

radioactive waste management at Review Meeting of the Joint Convention

On 14 May 2015, the UAE presented

the status of its plans for managing

spent nuclear fuel and radioactive

waste during a meeting at the IAEA

headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

The Fifth Review Meeting of the

Contracting Parties to the Joint

Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel

Management and on the Safety of

Radioactive Waste Management took

place from 11 to 22 May.

As a Contracting Party, the UAE had

submitted its Second National Report

to the Review Meeting, outlining the

progress made since the last review

meeting in regards to its obligations

under the Joint Convention.

(continued on page 2)

The 2nd National Report is made public

on FANR website (read full text)

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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA

The UAE’s First National Report was submitted in May

2012, which described the basic policy and legal

framework being established by the UAE for spent fuel

management and radioactive waste management

(read full text).

The UAE’s presentation of its Second National Report

delivered a detailed overview on progress made

since the last Review Meeting. It outlined the

regulatory framework so far established to protect

UAE residents and the environment from radiological

and other hazards potentially posed by spent nuclear

power plant fuel and radioactive waste.

The presentation also described the UAE’s strategy

and plans for managing radioactive waste and spent

fuel prior to its disposal.

The UAE delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador

Hamad Alkaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to

the IAEA, and supported by senior experts from the

Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).

Throughout the two weeks, the UAE delegation

participated actively in the discussions of its own

country group, as well as group sessions of other

Contracting Parties, posing questions and sharing its

experience.

More than 600 delegates from 61 Contracting Parties

discussed measures to enhance the level of safety in

radioactive waste and spent fuel management, and

deliberated on national strategies towards the

implementation of the Convention’s obligations.

Some of the major points highlighted during the

Review Meeting included staffing, implementing

holistic management strategies and increasing public

engagement.

The Joint Convention aims to achieve and maintain

the highest level of safety in facilities for the disposal of

spent fuel from nuclear power plants and radioactive

waste. It pursues the establishment and maintenance

for long term measures to safeguard against potential

hazards with radiological impact in such disposal

facilities.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (centre) addressed the participants at the closing session of the Fifth Review

Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive

Waste Management, which concluded at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna on 22 May 2015.

(Photo: G. Siraky/IAEA)

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PERMANENT MISSION OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA

2015 NPT Review Conference

The 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) convened from 27

April until 22 May 2015 at the United Nations headquarters in

New York, the United States.

More than 190 States Parties, as well as observer States, worked

to assess the implementation of the Treaty’s provisions. They

were joined by over 1,000 non-governmental representatives

from 121 organizations from around the world, primarily

representing a range of peace and disarmament interests.

Minister of State, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, headed the UAE

delegation, which also included the UAE Permanent

Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency,

Hamad Al-Kaabi, and UAE Permanent Representative to the

United Nations, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh.

In his statement to the conference, Dr. Al Jaber emphasized

that stemming from its commitment to ensuring global peace

and security, the UAE attaches high importance to the Treaty

on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He highlighted

that the UAE supports the right of countries to the peaceful use

of nuclear energy while adhering to the principle of

transparency and abiding by the highest standards of security

and safety, citing the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program as

a role model.

Minister Al Jaber further emphasized the importance of

reinforcing the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA)

capacity to support the expansion of peaceful nuclear

programs, calling for developing measures to strengthen the

objectives of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including the

adoption of the Additional Protocol to the Comprehensive

Safeguards Agreement.

The Minister stressed the need to adopt practical steps toward

establishing a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East.

The UAE delegation provided the Government’s views through

several national statements, and the joint-submission of various

working papers relating to different aspects of nuclear

disarmament, nonproliferation, and the peaceful uses of

nuclear energy. The conference failed, however, to adopted a

final consensus document as a result of dispute over the way

forward in establishing a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ)in the

Middle East.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the core component of the global

non-proliferation regime and establishes a comprehensive, legally-binding framework for the

global elimination of nuclear weapons.

Plenary of the 2015 NPT Review Conference in

New York

All official documents of the Conference

available here

http://www.un.org/en/conf/npt/2015/working-

papers.shtml

NPT five-year Review Cycle

2010: NPT Review Conference, New York, USA

2012: NPT Preparatory Committee, Vienna, Austria

2013: NPT Preparatory Committee, Geneva,

Switzerland

2014: NPT Preparatory Committee, New York, USA

2015: NPT Review Conference, New York, USA

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The third annual meeting to review the status of the

implementation of an Integrated Work Plan (IWP) for

building nuclear power infrastructure in the United Arab

Emirates took place from 15 to 16 April 2015, at the IAEA’s

headquarters in Vienna.

The 2015 IWP Coordination Meeting brought together

representatives from the relevant UAE institutions and

IAEA technical experts. The meeting reviewed the

progress achieved in 2014 by national counterparts, in

respect to developing nuclear power infrastructure. The

UAE counterparts included representatives of the Federal

Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the Emirates

Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), Khalifa University

Third Coordination Meeting on the UAE Integrated Work Plan for its

Nuclear Power Programme

Developing Nuclear Power Infrastructure

Since the development and adoption of the UAE Integrated Work Plan (IWP) in 2013, the IAEA

expert’s team meets annually with national counterparts. The coordination meeting, which takes

place at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, reviews the progress in the implementation of the IWP

and when required, updates the plan in accordance with recommendations from international

experts and IAEA missions.

and the UAE Permanent Mission. During this two-

day coordination meeting, participants discussed

the progress in the national nuclear power

programme and reviewed the implementation of

the agreed-upon IWP activities and also finalized

future plans for IAEA assistance to the UAE

programme.

The IAEA team expressed appreciation for the

opportunity to work with the UAE on newly

developed tools such the IAEA peer reviews and

learn in a process how these tools would work in

practice, in light of assisting newcomer countries in

the development of a nuclear energy programme.

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“We thank the UAE for sharing its experience on

developing a nuclear energy programme. There are

many countries looking at the UAE’s experience and

approach,” said Anne Starz, IAEA Nuclear Energy

Department.

The IWP meeting specifically

reviewed the implementation of

activities under the IWP in 2014, which

constitutes 24 activities in

accordance with the Key

Infrastructure Issues under the IAEA

Milestones Approach.

These activities include the Agency’s

assistance to the UAE nuclear power

programme through review missions

and capacity building in the areas of

nuclear safety, safeguards, regulatory

framework, radiation protection,

human resources development,

environmental protection,

emergency planning, security and

physical protection and radioactive

waste management.

The IAEA experts noted advanced progress on the

implementation of the IWP, which already achieved

milestones planned for 2015.

The UAE hosted a number of review missions including

the Integrated Regulatory Review Service follow-up

mission in January 2015 and

an Emergency

Preparedness Review

Service mission in March

2015.

The initial IWP was signed

between the UAE and IAEA

on 5 June 2013, to support

the implementation of the

national nuclear power

programme. All activities,

issues and the five-year work

schedule outlined under the

IWP 2013-2017 are integrated

within national Technical

Cooperation (TC) projects.

The last IWP work-plan

updated was in February

2014.

“Activities implemented under the

UAE Integrated Work Plan had

tripled in 2014 in comparison to the

previous year and more than 70%

of these activities were supported

through IAEA Technical

Cooperation projects. The UAE

national TC Programme is one of

the successful technical

cooperation collaborations in the

region.

~ Najat Mokhtar, TCAP Director

Group Photo of UAE delegation and IAEA staff during the 3rd IWP Coordination Meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna,

15 April (Photo: IAEA)

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UAE Nuclear Power Infrastructure: Expert Interview

IAEA Expert Talks about UAE Nuclear Energy Programme

The close partnership between the UAE and the IAEA

helped the country to develop a national nuclear

infrastructure in line with the Agency’s Milestones

Approach. Currently, the UAE has reached the last phase,

Milestone 3, with its three nuclear reactors under

construction. Anne Starz, Acting Section Head for Nuclear

Infrastructure Development of the IAEA Department of

Nuclear Energy, tells us more about the IAEA support to the

UAE nuclear power programme: tools made available by

the Agency to support the national nuclear infrastructure

development, the Agency’s view on the country’s

approach and elements of success towards the peaceful

use of nuclear energy.

Anne Starz, IAEA Department of Nuclear

Energy (Photo: T. Yasar, IAEA)

With no existing nuclear expertise at the time of its

decision to pursue nuclear energy, the UAE

government has set itself a challenge to deploy a

national programme in line with international

standards, especially in such a complex field. What

is the IAEA’s assessment today of the UAE’s nuclear

power infrastructure as a nuclear newcomer and

the current progress made on construction of its first

Nuclear Power Plant?

The UAE has been cooperating closely with the IAEA

on developing a national nuclear power programme

and has generally followed IAEA guidance, as

documented in the IAEA publication "Milestones in the

Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear

Power" (IAEA Nuclear Energy Series NG-G-3.1).

This holistic approach includes three phases (decide-

prepare-construct) and three milestones (hence the

name) to be achieved by a country in developing its

nuclear infrastructure, while considering 19

infrastructure issues to be addressed in each phase,

for example national position, nuclear safety,

legislative and regulatory frameworks, human

resource development, stakeholder involvement and

others.

In January 2011, the UAE hosted an IAEA Integrated

Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission. An INIR

mission is a holistic review of a country’s nuclear power

programme conducted by a team of IAEA and

international experts. This mission was held successfully

and found that the status of infrastructure was in good

shape for that stage of the nuclear power development.

Between 2011 and now, several other IAEA review

services have supported the UAE’s programme, such as

the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS), the

Emergency Preparedness Review Service (EPREV), an

IAEA Safeguards Advisory Service Mission (ISSAS), and

others with similar results.

The IAEA plays an important role in assisting Member

States that are starting nuclear power programmes,

including the UAE. What are the areas in which the

IAEA can provide assistance to the UAE in

developing/advancing its national nuclear

infrastructure, especially as the UAE moves to the

Operation and Commissioning phase?

As I said earlier, the UAE nuclear power programme is

consistent with the Milestones approach and has close

cooperation with the IAEA. (continued on page 7)

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On average, there are more than 30 activities

between the IAEA and the UAE per year.

Currently, as the UAE prepares for commissioning, the

IAEA is providing support in particular on the

readiness of the operating organization, regulatory

body, and emergency preparedness organization as

well as others. for the operation of the nuclear power

plant.

Some of the most important activities are peer

review services, which bring together international

experts to discuss aspects of a country’s nuclear

programme and make recommendations for further

progress. The UAE has agreed to pilot an INIR mission,

scheduled for 2016, as a last review of the UAE’s

nuclear infrastructure development and the

readiness for operation, before the first reactor at the

Barakah site will be commissioned.

Have there been any new tools that the IAEA has

used for the first time on the UAE's nuclear power

project and could the UAE’s approach be

recommended to other countries embarking on a

nuclear power programme for the first time?

It is fair to say that the IAEA has also benefited greatly

from this cooperation; as the UAE is the first country in

28 years to start construction on a first nuclear power

plant, we have worked closely with the UAE to

understand how countries starting programmes

today are responding to different challenges than in

the past.

The UAE is at the leading edge of these “nuclear

newcomers” and has been actively sharing its

experiences with the IAEA and the international

community.

As the IAEA developed or adapted its services and

guidance to respond to the needs of countries

starting nuclear power programmes, the UAE has

been one of the first to use these services and tools,

as the “newcomer” with the most advanced NPP

project.

One way the UAE has demonstrated its leadership is

by making the results of its INIR mission public.

The INIR Mission in 2011 identified several areas where

the UAE approach has achieved good practices for

other countries starting nuclear power programmes

to consider. These good practices include, for

example, cooperation without compromising the

independence between the regulatory bodies and

utility, human resource development, a well-

structured integrated management system, and a

strong safety culture.

The UAE has also implemented an extensive

stakeholder involvement programme that provides

transparency and confidence for the general public.

Your office interacts with many newcomer

countries. What are your impressions surrounding

the UAE experience and where/how can the UAE

experience support the IAEA and other Member

States?

The IAEA has been supporting the UAE in building its

nuclear infrastructure, but the IAEA is also being

supported by the UAE. Experts from the UAE are

participating in many IAEA technical meetings and

workshops where they share valuable information

and experiences with other Member States.

The UAE and the Agency are also cooperating on

preparing a Case Study document, to be published

by the IAEA, on the UAE experience in building its

national nuclear infrastructure.

This case study explains the approaches adapted by

the UAE to be successful in developing a safe, secure

and sustainable nuclear power programme.

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Establishing Global Nuclear Liability Regime

UAE and Contracting Parties celebrate the entry into force of the

Convention on Supplementary Compensation

The Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) is an international

treaty which was developed as an overarching umbrella for international liability conventions,

supporting the goal of a global nuclear liability regime.

On April 15, the Convention on

Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear

Damage (CSC) entered into force with the

joining of Japan to the Convention.

As Japan became the 6th Contracting State

of the Convention, Parties gather at the UN

headquarters in Vienna to celebrate its entry

into force.

The event to mark this historical moment for

the Convention was co-organized by the

Permanent Missions of all six original

Contracting Parties: Argentina, Japan,

Morocco, Romania, the United Arab Emirates

and the United States of America.

The celebration was marked with “Kagami-

Biraki”, the sake-barrel breaking ceremony,

an old Japanese tradition that symbolizes the

importance of this event.

“International nuclear liability

conventionssuch as the CSC, provide a

framework which is consistent with the UAE’s

devoted (repeated word) approach in

developing a responsible nuclear energy

programme,” said Ambassador Alkaabi

during the opening remarks of the event.

The UAE ratified the CSC on 17 July 2014. The

CSC aims at establishing a worldwide liability

regime to supplement and enhance

measures provided in the current nuclear

liability conventions, with a view to increase

the scope and amount of compensation

available for nuclear damage.

Ambassadors of six original State Parties to the CSC join hands

after the Sake-Barrel breaking ceremony, IAEA headquarters in

Vienna, 15 April (Photo: Japanese Mission)

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Pre-Project Assistance and Project Design for the ARASIA

Project Concepts for 2016-2017

UAE national stakeholders took part in the Regional

Meeting on Pre-Project Assistance and Project Design

for the ARASIA (Asia and the Pacific) Project Concepts

for 2016-2017, held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna

from 31 March to 1 April 2015.

More than 40 national coordinators from nine

countries under the ARASIA agreement worked

together with the IAEA Secretariat on finalization of

the design of five proposed project concepts for the

region, which were submitted afterwards for the TC

Programme cycle 2016-2017.

The UAE participates in ARASIA projects focusing on

areas such as upgrading the competence of

Regulatory bodies; human resource

development in emergency response and

preparedness; supporting the development of quality

management system for SSDLs; investigation of air

pollutants in urban environments; and enhancing

crop and biomass production and reducing land and

water quality degradation.

UAE counterparts from the Federal Authority for

Nuclear Regulation (FANR) and the National

Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management

Authority (NCEMA) contributed to the meeting's

discussions related to emergency preparedness and

response as well as on SSDL. These new designed

projects are in the finalization phase, and are

planned to start in January 2016.

IAEA Member States from the ARASIA region and IAEA staff of the Technical Cooperation

department meet to review newly designed TC projects and define future activities.

Group photo of the meeting participants from ARASIA countries and IAEA staff, Vienna (Photo: IAEA)

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June 8-12, IAEA Board of

Governors, Vienna Austria

June 22-26, CTBTO Science and

Technology Conference,

Vienna, Austria

UAE Provides Experts to the IAEA

About the Permanent Mission

Established in 2008, the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates

(UAE) acts as the main liaison between the UAE Government and the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as the Preparatory

Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

(CTBTO) in Vienna, Austria. The UAE has been a member of the IAEA since

1976. The Government signed the CTBT in 1996 and ratified the Treaty in

2000. Through its daily engagement with these international organizations

and its effective diplomacy, the Permanent Mission works to advance the

interests of the UAE Government in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear

energy. It facilitates close cooperation on nuclear safety, nuclear security,

non-proliferation, safeguards, technical cooperation, and the

implementation of relevant international instruments.

Permanent Mission of the United Arab

Emirates to the International Atomic

Energy Agency, Vienna

Chimanistrasse 36,

1190 Vienna, Austria

Tel: (+43 1) 715 00 28

Fax: (+43 1) 715 00 28 – 5555

E-mail: general@uae-iaea.org

Website: www.uae-iaea.org

Follow us: @UAE_IAEA @UAE_IAEA

UAE Permanent Mission to IAEA

International Experts’ Meeting on

Assessment and Prognosis in Response to a

Nuclear or Radiological Emergency

From 20 to 24 April, a UAE delegation from the Federal Authority for Nuclear

Regulation (FANR) shared the organization’s experience in developing its

national assessment and prognosis capabilities in response to a nuclear or

radiological emergency during an international experts’ forum in Vienna.

Organized by the IAEA, the International Experts’ Meeting on Assessment and

Prognosis in Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency brought together

around 200 participants from more than 70 IAEA Member States and

international organizations to discuss issues, challenges and solutions related to

the assessment and prognosis process in response to a nuclear or radiological

emergency. The UAE participants shared the Regulator’s perspective in the

development of a radiological and nuclear emergency dose assessment

programme in an embarking nation.

The meeting also provided information which would assist FANR/UAE in the future development of emergency planning

programmes and procedures. It additionally provided a clear understanding of the role of the IAEA International

Emergency Center for data sharing and evaluation during events and exercises.

The UAE’s Regulator FANR works with national authorities and the IAEA in developing capabilities for radiological and

nuclear emergency response mechanisms in the UAE. From 21 to 31 March 2015, FANR received the IAEA Emergency

Preparedness Review Service (EPREV) mission, which examined the UAE’s progress in preparing the necessary response

measures in the event of a nuclear emergency at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. The Plant is currently under

construction.

The UAE’s emergency response plan involves a coordinated effort from a variety of UAE entities working intensively to

have all emergency preparation and response measures in place and well-tested before the first nuclear fuel arrives at

the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, whose operation is planned for 2016.

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