Belarusian delegation takes part in the 8th Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention at the IAEA

On March 17, 2025, the 8th 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 (the Joint Convention) started at the IAEA HQ (Vienna, Austria).

It is scheduled to last until the 28^th of March 2025. Participation in the Review Meetings of the Contracting Parties is a part of the country’s international obligations in the field of nuclear and radiation safety.

The Belarusian delegation consists of the representatives of Gosatomnadzor, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Nuclear Energy of the Ministry of Energy, the Belarusian NPP, Belenergo, RUE “BelRAO” and the State Scientific Institution “JIPNR-Sosny”of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The delegation is headed by Ms. Olga Lugovskaya, the Head of Gosatomnadzor.

During the 8^th Review Meeting, the Belarusian delegation will take part in the plenary sessions and work of the country groups, at the sessions of which the Contracting Parties are going to present and discuss the National Reports on Implementing the Joint Convention.

The Belarusian National Report is to be presented and discussed on March 20, 2025.

For reference:

The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management was adopted in 1997 and is aimed to:

- achieve and maintain a high level of safety worldwide in spent fuel and radioactive waste management, through the enhancement of national measures and international cooperation, including where appropriate, safety-related technical cooperation;

- ensure that during all stages of spent fuel and radioactive waste management there are effective defenses against potential hazards so that individuals, society and the environment are protected from harmful effects of ionizing radiation, now and in the future, in such a way that the needs and aspirations of the present generation are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs and aspirations;

- prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate their consequences should they occur during any stage of spent fuel or radioactive waste management.

The Joint Convention was ratified in the Republic of Belarus on July 17, 2002.

Participation of the Belarusian delegation in the 8^thReview Meeting was preceded by an extensive preparatory work. In 2024, the 8^th National Report of the Republic of Belarus on Implementing the Joint Convention was completed (it is available on the website of Gosatomnadzor).

Last year, Belarus also studied the National Reports of 28 countries and submitted 225 questions to them. Meanwhile, 90 questions from 15 countries and international organizations were addressed to the National Report of the Republic of Belarus, the answers to which were formulated and uploaded on the authorized platform.