Statement by Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, Resident Representative/Governor of the Republic of South Africa, International Atomic Energy Agency, Board of Governors

AGENDA ITEM 3: STRENGTHENING THE AGENCY’S ACTIVITIES RELATED TO NUCLEAR, RADIATION, TRANSPORT AND WASTE SAFETY

(A) NUCLEAR SAFETY REVIEW 2014

(B) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IAEA ACTION PLAN ON NUCLEAR SAFETY

(C) DRAFT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: DECOMMISSIONING OF FACILITIES – REVISION OF IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS SERIES NO. WS-R-5

Chairperson,

My delegation associates itself with the statements made on behalf of the African Group and the G77 and China and thanks the Director General for preparing the reports on matters relating to nuclear safety. My delegation also thanks DDG Denis Flory for his presentation of this agenda item and the Technical Briefing on 17 February 2014.

Chairperson,

South Africa has always attached great importance to nuclear safety.  My country continuously hosts safety workshops and participates in safety reviews and peer reviews.  After the Fukushima accident our focus on safety increased and safety-reassessments were performed at our nuclear installation with the assistance of an Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) mission.   An Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission was conducted in preparation for our Nuclear Build and the recommendations of the report are being implemented.

We have enjoyed close cooperation with the Agency as we strive to attain the highest standard of safety of our nuclear installations and our nuclear material.  My delegation welcomes the Agency’s continued efforts to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework.  We note with special appreciation the Agency’s activities aimed at supporting nuclear safety infrastructure development in Member States introducing nuclear power or expanding their existing programmes.

My delegation welcomes the progress made in the assessment of safety vulnerabilities of nuclear power plants, the improvements of Enhancing Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) capabilities, the strengthening of capacity building, and of reviewing the Agency's safety standards. In this regard an EPREV mission was conducted in South Africa at the end of February and a public statement on the outcome will be released in the near future

Chairperson,

My delegation notes with appreciation the Agency’s activities in connection with the implementation of the Nuclear Action Safety Plan and the efforts made by the Secretariat to continue to facilitate learning the lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi accident.  We look forward to the finalisation of the report on the accident.

With regard to the safe decommissioning of nuclear facilities, my delegation welcomes the Agency's continued efforts to assist Member States in establishing regulatory and technical frameworks for the safe decommissioning of nuclear facilities.  My delegation supports the Agency’s revised safety requirements as contained in GOV/2014/3 in this regard.

Chairperson,

With these remarks my delegation also takes note of the Nuclear Safety Review for 2014, as contained in document GOV/2014/6 and the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety as contained in GOV/INF/2014/2.

I thank you

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