VIENNA / SAFEGUARDS

On the sidelines of the symposium on international safeguards, an expert from the UN Atomic Energy Agency discusses the challenges the agency faces in its efforts to prevent nuclear materials from being used to produce weapons. IAEA

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:36
• Production Date: 1 November 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY - IAEA
• Subject Topical: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• MAMS Id: U101101a

Description

STORY: VIENNA / SAFEGUARDS
TRT: 2.36
SOURCE: IAEA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: / FILE

Shotlist

FILE / IAEA / DECEMBER 2007, CZECH REPUBLIC

1. Med shot, inspector’s hands on IAEA surveillance camera
2. Tilt down, view of fuel casks
3. Close up, Inspector’s hands putting a “cobra seal” into a seal verification device
4. Pan left, inspector with a seal verification device
5. Med shot, Inspector’s sitting on top of fuel cask verifying that seals are intact

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Herman Nackaerts, Deputy Director General, head of the Department of Safeguards, IAEA:
“The biggest challenge, I think, is to try to understand the nuclear intentions, the nuclear program of our Member States and make sure that there are no clandestine activities in the country, so that we can draw credible conclusions about their nuclear material holdings and the absence of any undeclared nuclear materials and activities.”

FILE / IAEA / FEBRUARY 2009, INDIA

7. Wide shot, IAEA Inspectors visiting Construction site of Indian Nuclear Power Plant.
8. Various shots, IAEA Inspectors controlling fresh fuel at Indian Nuclear Power Plant controlling fresh fuel.
9. Various shots, IAEA Inspectors controlling fresh fuel at Indian Nuclear Power Plant.
10. Various shots, IAEA Inspectors controlling fuel assemblies at Indian Nuclear Power Plant.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Herman Nackaerts, Deputy Director General, head of the Department of Safeguards, IAEA:
“I think that it is important that an inspector uses his eyes and his nose when he goes to a facility. That he is investigative, and that he is curious, he asks the right questions. He should be, of course, polite but he should be firm in what he is doing. He should look around, try to understand what is going on in the facility, try to understand what the people are doing: much more than just performing nuclear accountancy verifications.”

FILE / IAEA / NOVEMBER 2009, SEIBERSDORF, AUSTRIA

12. Various shots, IAEA staff utilizing glove box to safely handle nuclear material at Agency Clean Laboratory
13. Various shots, IAEA staff analyzing nuclear samples

Storyline

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that most countries around the world use nuclear techniques for a variety of peaceful purposes. To ensure that these nuclear programmes are not misused, the IAEA has developed a system of Safeguards Agreements.

Around 170 states have entered into such agreements with the IAEA, submitting nuclear materials, facilities and activities to the scrutiny of the IAEA’s inspectors.

IAEA’s Deputy Director General and head of the Department of Safeguards Herman Nackaerts said that the biggest challenge, is to try to understand the nuclear intentions of Members States and make sure that there are no clandestine activities in the country “in order to draw credible conclusions about their nuclear material holdings and the absence of any undeclared nuclear materials and activities,” Nackaerts said.

The IAEA currently inspects over 900 nuclear facilities and in 2009 around 2000 inspections were performed.

Nackaerts said that it is important that an inspector uses his eyes and his nose when he goes to a facility. That he is investigative, curious and asks the right questions. He added that inspectors should also look around, try to understand what is going on in the facility as well as understand what the people are doing.

According to IAEA, the nuclear landscape is constantly evolving. With global interest in nuclear power generation increasing, the demands on the IAEA look set to rise. This offers both challenges and opportunities to the IAEA and its Member States.

The future challenges facing the IAEA in its efforts to prevent nuclear materials from being used to produce weapons are being discussed from 1-5 November in Vienna, Austria where over 700 experts met for a symposium on international Safeguards at the IAEA headquarters.

Topics to be addressed during the 2010 Symposium include supporting the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, building support for strengthening international safeguards, the role of Non-State actors and covert trade networks, and the globalisation of nuclear information and technology.