Agenda Item 2 (a): Nuclear Safety Review - 2019

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ MEETINGS

(March 4 - 8, 2019)

Agenda Item 2 (a): Nuclear Safety Review - 2019

Statement By The Governor For India

Ambassador H.E Ms. Renu Pall

Madam Chair,

My delegation would like to thank the Director General for his introductory remarks as well as for providing an overview of the global trends and activities in 2018 and the priorities for 2019 and beyond for strengthening nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety.

We associate ourselves with the statement delivered by the distinguished Ambassador of Egypt on behalf of G-77 and China.

Madam Chair,

For maintaining high level of nuclear safety, it is important that there is no complacency in putting continuous efforts in enhancing safety in all areas of peaceful uses of nuclear and radiation technology. It is a national responsibility; however, the role of IAEA is central in establishing standards for safety which India considers as the global reference. In that respect, India considers the Nuclear Safety Review-2019 as a forward looking document for the Agency to continue prioritizing safety related activities in a holistic manner so that no important areas are left out.

The lessons from the Fukushima accident, continue to be learnt. We urge the Agency to remain engaged with Japan in their decommissioning and remediation efforts and widely share the experience with the international community for their use for further enhancement of safety and emergency preparedness at the global level.

We acknowledge that the revision of Safety Requirements to include lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi accident has been completed. However, we feel that this is not enough, as the challenge remains in the proper implementation of these requirements in various stages of nuclear power plant siting, design, construction, commissioning and operation. We encourage the Agency to review and revise the relevant safety documents that can assist the users to properly implement the new requirements identified in the document and as far as practicable, the Agency should also organize events such as technical meetings, workshops and training to publicize these documents. India will continue to participate in the International initiatives pertaining to lessons learned from Fukushima accident.

Madam Chair,

We take note of the issuance of the revised IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material in 2018. Indian expert’s participated actively in its revision. Indian regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material are generally in line with the IAEA regulations. India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board coordinates its implementation with various concerned agencies responsible for transport of dangerous goods, including radioactive material. 

With these comments, Madam Chair, we take note of the Nuclear Safety Review - 2019, as contained in the document GOV/2019/3. We also take note of the draft Safety requirement: Site Evaluation for Nuclear Installations as contained in the document GOV/2019/2.

Thank You