Progress towards a global nuclear liability regime

As the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant accident brought a renewed focus to the discussion of international nuclear liability regimes, and notably the administration of a liability system to compensate damages resulting from a nuclear accident, this article recalls the background on existing international nuclear liability conventions (original and revised Paris and Vienna conventions), briefly indicates the common principles reflected in the international nuclear liability conventions. The author outlines the challenges in achieving a global nuclear liability regime, reports and comments the Japanese experience in handling compensation issues in the wake of the Fukushima accident. He gives an overview of recent developments: IAEA action plan on nuclear safety, action of the International Expert Group on Nuclear Liability (INLEX), CSC or Convention on Supplementary Compensation