Ageing management of packages and facilities for spent fuel and radioactive waste, and ways to safely manage disused sealed sources for the long term are being discussed this week at the Eighth Review Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Also under discussion is competence and staffing over the lifetime of spent fuel and radioactive waste management programmes.
As nuclear activity grows, responsible waste management is more important than ever. Opened 8th Review Meeting of Joint Convention on Safety of Spent Fuel & Radioactive Waste Management. Waste comes from more than just nuclear power-universalizing the Convention benefits us all. pic.twitter.com/W1Uk4KQqQb
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) March 17, 2025
You can see the livestream of the meeting here.
The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management - or Joint Convention - is a legally binding instrument that seeks to achieve and maintain a high level of worldwide safety in spent fuel and radioactive waste management. Over the next two weeks, from 17 to 28 March, Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention will present and discuss their National Reports on implementation of the Convention's obligations.
Jean-Luc Lachaume, Acting President of the Eighth Review Meeting, from France, welcomed more than 1000 delegates from 77 Contracting Parties and a Signatory State, Lebanon.
"The challenges before us demand collective resolve. By achieving consensus we demonstrate to the public we serve and to the future generations that together we will continue to advance the principles and goals that bring us together under the banner of the safe management of nuclear waste for generations to come," said Lachaume on behalf of President Ramzi Jammal.
Delegates will also share their experiences and lessons learned during a topical session on knowledge management in relation to long term management of disused sealed radioactive sources, radioactive waste and spent fuel. In addition, during open-ended working group sessions, delegates will discuss seven proposals submitted by Contracting Parties for improving the Joint Convention procedural mechanisms.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
With growing interest from IAEA Member States in Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, the Eighth Review Meeting also offers a timely and crucial opportunity to reflect on lessons learned from the past and reiterate the importance of early planning and implementation of policies and strategies for the safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel for the future.
"Joining and adhering to the Joint Convention acknowledges the importance of thinking early about the full lifecycle of a nuclear facility and planning early to ensure the necessary infrastructure, competence and capacity exists for the safe management of spent fuel, radioactive waste, and decommissioning of facilities," said Nelli Aghajanyan, coordinator of the Joint Convention.
