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. 

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 (http://uae-mission.ae/Editor/UNITED_ARAB_EMIRATES_Joint_Convention_report_FINAL_October_7_2011.pdf). 

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. 

The 2nd National Report is made public on FANR website:http://www.fanr.gov.ae/En/Opendata/Documents/National report by UAE for 5th RM of the JC.pdf