This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, a landmark international treaty aimed at promoting safety of nuclear installations worldwide. On 17 December 2024, Liberia became the latest Contracting Party to the Convention, bringing the total number to 96.
"The Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) is the cornerstone of the international nuclear safety regime. As more countries are embracing nuclear power, their adherence to the convention and its principles is of paramount importance," said Lydie Evrard, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security.
Adopted in 1994 and in force since 1996, the CNS establishes fundamental safety principles and a peer review mechanism that promote continuous improvement in nuclear safety. The CNS is an 'incentive' convention prioritizing consensus and participation. Its main dynamic element, the peer review mechanism, provides a platform for exchange of information and experiences through the submission and discussion of national reports on how countries are meeting their obligations under the CNS. The peer review process ultimately determines the convention's effectiveness.
The CNS and its review process are responsive to global developments, and over the years, its Contracting Parties have demonstrated a firm commitment to improving the review process to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
"The dynamism of the CNS and the flexibility of the Contracting Parties were evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and in the focused work on the effectiveness and efficiency of the CNS, which culminated in the Third Extraordinary Meeting," said Carl-Magnus Larsson, CNS Vice-President for the Joint 8th and 9th CNS Review Meeting. "This dedicated work on review and revision of the processes will continue to strengthen the value of the CNS for all its Contracting Parties."
The review process creates a unique opportunity for experience sharing and collective learning in the field of nuclear safety, providing all Contracting Parties with an opportunity to assess whether relevant international safety standards are being met at the national level. Although the majority of Contracting Parties do not have nuclear programmes, they can benefit from learning about these programmes, including best practices in emergency preparedness and response that may be directly relevant to them.
"An important part of the CNS international review exercise is a thorough self-assessment," said Mikuláš Turner, the CNS National Contact for Slovakia. "This self-assessment, in combination with the peer review, ultimately results in identification of areas of improvement or good practices that support our country's activities to enhance nuclear safety."
The Third Extraordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the CNS in September 2024 underscored the Convention's importance and discussed potential changes to its guidelines to maintain the long-term balance between effectiveness and efficiency.
"The growing number of CNS Contracting Parties poses logistical and resource challenges for the review process and for the Secretariat," said Anna Bradford, Director of the IAEA's Division for Nuclear Installation Safety. "For the review process to remain effective, efficient and meaningful, these challenges need to be adequately addressed," she added.
At the September meeting, the Contracting Parties adopted 13 proposals for improving key aspects of the CNS review process, such as the categorization of Contracting Parties, the formation of Country Groups for the purposes of the review process, and the process for identifying and recording good practices.
Over the past three decades, the Convention on Nuclear Safety has facilitated significant improvements in regulatory frameworks, operational safety, emergency preparedness and other key areas. This anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on these achievements and to reaffirm the international community's commitment to nuclear safety.
