International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a workshop in Abu Dhabi on a civil nuclear liability for countries embarking on nuclear energy program, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi. The workshop covered a survey of various international nuclear liability conventions and its importance as key parts of the required infrastructure for countries embarking on a new nuclear energy programs.
"The United Arab Emirates is working on developing an infrastructure that will ensure highest levels of safety through independent regulation and strong safety legislation , and at the same time supports the promotion and the expansion of nuclear energy applications" , Ambassador Hamad AlKaabi, UAE Permanent Representative to IAEA, said in his opening remarks.
Workshop sessions focused on detailed reviews of different international instruments related to Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and different implementation scenarios.
Participants at the workshop were experts from the IAEA, nuclear industry, nuclear bodies and foreign ministries of countries planning the development of nuclear energy program.
The UAE has published its policy on the evaluation and potential implementation of nuclear energy in April of 2008 highlighting its commitment to transparency, safety, security and non-proliferation. UAE has recently signed the additional protocol to safeguards agreement with the IAEA and joined the Convention on nuclear Safety. As part of UAE efforts in developing the required infrastructure, a comprehensive nuclear law for peaceful uses of nuclear energy was recently enacted which established an independent federal authority for nuclear regulation.
