UAE highlights steps to improve nuclear safety at the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety

From 15 to 17 December 2012, the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety took place in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It called for continuous improvement and surveillance to further strengthen global nuclear safety.

 
 
Ambassador Alkaabi led the UAE delegation with the participation of senior officials from Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) at the Conference along with 117 states and international organizations to share knowledge and lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident as well as to further enhance transparency and discuss the progress of international efforts to strengthen nuclear safety.
 
The first conference was convened in June 2011 in the aftermath of the 11 March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
 
The conference stressed that actions must be taken to significantly enhance nuclear safety and to evaluate measures to protect people and environment from radiation hazards.

The first Ministerial Conference adopted the IAEA Action Plan on nuclear safety.
 
The follow up Ministerial Fukushima conference in December 2012 concluded that while significant progress has been made, considerable work remains to be done under the Action Plan. It is important for all those involved—whether nuclear regulators, plant operators, governments or international organizations—to maintain the momentum gained in the 15 months since the adoption of the Action Plan in the collective drive to improve nuclear safety around the world.
 
Ambassador Alkaabi reiterated UAE government position “My country remains of the view that peaceful nuclear energy will contribute significantly to the future energy mix in the UAE and globally” “ After the Fukushima Daiichi accident, we have taken further steps including engaging closely with the IAEA and the International community, in drawing the right lessons from the accident,” he added.
 
The UAE statement is available here