FANR presents its achievements to IAEA international Meeting on Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources

• FANR co-chairs the international meeting where 128 countries attended
• FANR Director-General Christer Viktorsson underscores women inclusion and empowerment in nuclear sector

  1 June 2023, Vienna, Austria: the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) is co-chairing this week the Open-Ended Meeting of Technical and Legal Experts for Sharing Information on States' Implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, which is being organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Austria.

More than 270 legal and technical experts from 128 countries and four international organizations have convened to review progress achieved in the Code and address areas in need of improvement.

In 2003, the IAEA developed the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources to help countries tackle risks and protect people and the environment from accidental radiation exposure or intentional unauthorized acts involving radioactive sources.

FANR presented the Second National Paper of the United Arab Emirates on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its Associated Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive sources. The report details the progress achieved towards the requirements of the code of conduct where FANR established and implemented a robust regulatory framework and an integrated licensing and inspection regime. The report describes FANR actions in issuing regulations setting requirements for the safety and security of radioactive sources. In addition, it highlights FANR's capacity building efforts to maintain its staff competency in detection, response and recovery of radioactive sources.

"This week we are marking the 20^th anniversary of the Code of Conduct, where it has been playing an important role among Member States of the IAEA to ensure safety and security of the radioactive sources. The UAE is committed to implement the code and FANR is applying it in its integrated regulatory framework. The code is important for sharing global best practices for the sustainable, safe and secure management of radioactive sources," said Christer Viktorsson, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).

Spanning five days, the meeting serves as a platform for global experts to exchange information on national implementation practices of the Code. The meeting takes place every three years, enabling countries to share experiences, exchange lessons learned and identify existing and future challenges in the implementation of the Code.

During the week, the participants will delve into diverse topics, including the evolution of nuclear safety and security, legal aspects, international cooperation, future development and the impact of the Code of Conduct. Discussions will address challenges and priorities related to the establishment of the appropriate regulatory framework for the safety and security of radioactive sources, import and export regulations.

In the margins of the meeting, a side event titled 'Role of gender equity and Inclusion and the Code of Conduct on Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: 20 years of progress', where FANR Director-General Christer Viktorsson was amongst the panelists and shed light on FANR's efforts to empower women in the workplace as well as the diverse programmes such as scholarship, Developee Programme, aimed at building capacity of the Emiratis to carry out the regulatory mandate of FANR. Women represent more than 40% of FANR's workforce and hold 44% of leadership roles.

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