Nuclear safety: an international approach: the convention on nuclear safety

This paper is a general presentation of the IAEA Convention on Nuclear Safety which has already be signed by 50 countries and which is the first legal instrument that directly addresses the safety of nuclear power plants worldwide. The paper gives a review of its development and some key provisions for a better understanding of how this agreement will operate in practice. The Convention consists of an introductory preamble and four chapters consisting of 35 articles dealing with: the principal objectives, definitions and scope of application; the various obligations (general provisions, legislation, responsibility and regulation, general safety considerations taking into account: the financial and human resources, the human factors, the quality assurance, the assessment and verification of safety, the radiation protection and the emergency preparedness; the safety of installations: sitting, design and construction, operation); the periodic meetings of the contracting parties to review national reports on the measures taken to implement each of the obligations, and the final clauses and other judicial provisions common to international agreements. (J.S.). 1 append