Nuclear Technology Applications and Regulatory Infrastructure: Chicken-Egg Situation?

Legal and governmental infrastructure for nuclear and radiation safety and security is a prerequisite for the use of nuclear and radiation technologies. The IAEA Statute as well the Safety Fundamentals and the Basic Safety Standards among others clearly enunciate this position. Developments or the pace of implementation of this important area in the case of Zimbabwe leaves one having to ponder as to whether the issues of nuclear technology applications and regulatory infrastructure requirements have fallen in the same category as the 'chicken-egg' quandary. What preceded the other: the chicken or the egg? This paper seeks to galvanize stakeholders to re-examine the ways, processes and efforts we have been making in dealing with issues related to establishing, maintaining, measuring and continuously improving regulatory effectiveness. (author)