Basic principles of safeguards by design

This paper presents basic principles of Safeguards by Design (SBD), for which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) provides guidance to State and regional safeguards authorities, designers, equipment providers and prospective purchasers on the importance of taking international safeguards into account when designing or modifying a nuclear facility or process. A voluntary best practice, SBD allows for informed design choices to optimize international safeguards requirements alongside economic, operational, safety and security factors, and reduces the resulting burden to all stakeholders. It is applicable to all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, and to any phase from initial planning and design through construction, operation, waste management and decommissioning. For new nuclear facilities, especially novel designs or processes, the earlier the discussion of safeguards the better: SBD allows for safeguards to be built 'into' the system, rather than around it afterwards. SBD also applies at any level of technology integration, from components/processes/sub-systems to full facilities, and at the level of the State fuel-cycle planning, regulation, and safeguards management. It is important to note that SBD is a voluntary process which does not increase or replace a State's existing obligations, but can lead to additional benefits for all stakeholders in terms of effectiveness and efficiency of international safeguards implementation, including the reduction of burden on operators. (author)