Vietnam learns about nuclear inspection system

Hong Van

After the signing of the Additional Protocol (AP) for the Comprehensive Inspection Agreement between Vietnam and the International Energy Agency (IAEA) today, the Ministry of Science and Technology organized a seminar to understand AP, learn foreign experiences to build their own inspection system.

For a world without nuclear weapons

Opening remarks at the National Conference on Additional Protocol to Vietnam's Inspection Agreement this morning in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien said, currently, Worldwide, there are 442 nuclear reactors in operation, providing 17% of total electricity output. According to projections, nuclear power will continue to grow strongly in the 21st century. However, nuclear materials are used not only for peaceful purposes but also for nuclear weapons. , weapons of mass destruction.

Conscious of the threat of development and then the ability to race nuclear weapons, countries in the world community soon built a framework to control the spread of these weapons. The legal basis of that framework is the relevant international treaties and agreements, the most basic of which is the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Treaties on non-nuclear weapons and the Inspection Agreement.

The results that the framework brings are clearly undeniable, as evidenced by the number of countries with weapons that have been limited and stable after many years. In addition, through the inspection mechanism implemented by the IAEA under the Inspection Agreements, nuclear-free countries according to the NPT have proved that their materials and nuclei are for peaceful purposes. , thereby creating international trust, stability and security in the region.

The National Conference on Additional Protocols for Vietnam's Inspection Agreement was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology.Participating in this two-day seminar, in addition to the IAEA experts, there are also Australian experts, the first to implement AP and Japan, a country with a popular AP initiative.

The workshop is an opportunity for Vietnamese officials to share knowledge and experiences with experts, thereby helping Vietnam to ratify and implement the additional Protocol soon.

There are 10 presentations presented here, only one of which is presented by Dr. Ngo Dang Nhan, Director of Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Control, Ministry of Science and Technology. country in the field of nuclear radiation safety and control in Vietnam.

However, Vice Minister Tien said that the limitations of the traditional inspection system under the Inspection Agreements have posed a need for innovation, especially in the current context, when regional and international security have a direct, strong and profound impact on each country.

Specifically, the discovery of Iraq's secret nuclear weapons program in 1991 showed that conventional comprehensive inspection agreements did not allow the IAEA to have sufficient means to verify the absence of nuclear materials and undeclared nuclear activities in member countries. Therefore, in May 1997, the IAEA Board of Governors approved the Model Protocol, with the aim of providing additional tools for IAEA inspectors.

The Inspection Agreement and the Additional Protocol (AP) will ensure that all national information declared is accurate and complete, and thus achieve the goal of non-proliferation.

Although the AP does not have any further authority on on-site nuclear inspections, the Protocol requires countries to declare all of their nuclear activities from mining to waste disposal. , and thus solve the deficiencies of the old system.

According to Ian Lodding, senior policy officer, IAEA's Office of International Relations and Policy Coordination, after being approved in May 1997, on April 24, 2000, the AP took effect. in nine countries.
Up to now, most countries participating in the Inspection Agreement have signed the AP Protocol with the IAEA.

As of early August, there were 114 countries signing the AP Protocol, among them in 83 countries, the AP took effect.7 countries have been approved by the Council but have not signed.

About 70 countries, including Vietnam, have declared a significant amount of nuclear materials that can be used as nuclear weapons.Among these countries, 61 countries have signed APs, accounting for more than 80%, including all East Asian countries, except Korea.Of these, 50 countries have implemented AP.

An important step for Vietnam to expand its nuclear program

Vietnam has become an official member of IAEA since 1957. Since the 80s, IAEA has supported Vietnam to maintain Da Lat Nuclear Reactor and support many important nuclear applications in industry and agriculture. , health and radiation safety.

On August 10, at the Headquarters of the International Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna (Austria), Ambassador Nguyen Truong Giang and Deputy General Director of IAEA - TS.Werner Burkart signed the AP.(Photo: IAEA)

On February 23, 1990, the Comprehensive Inspection Agreement between Vietnam and IAEA took effect. Since then, Vietnam has reported to the IAEA about nuclear materials that Vietnam has and the IAEA annually conducts nuclear inspections in Da Lat.

At the workshop, Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien said that nuclear activities in Vietnam are not so much, the inspection is relatively simple. However, not so that this issue of oversight is outside the interest of the Government and competent authorities in Vietnam's atomic energy field.

The full implementation of Vietnam's inspection obligations will need to spend more effort when the nation's nuclear energy development programs are implemented. Earlier last year, the Prime Minister issued a strategy for peaceful use of atomic energy by 2020 and in July issued a Master Plan for Implementation of the Strategy. Accordingly, the consistent policy of Vietnam is the application and development of atomic energy for peaceful and socio-economic development.

The strategy has set goals such as: putting the first nuclear power plant into operation from 2020, developing the national nuclear science and technology potential, organizing research, exploration and evaluation amount of uranium for domestic use .

Responding to the question of why Vietnam needs an AP Protocol, Mr. Laura Rockwood, Head of the Non-Proliferation and Policy Planning Division, Department of Legal Affairs of the IAEA, said that AP is necessary for strengthening security. security and safety of domestic and international nuclear materials. The AP will help improve Vietnam's capacity to control nuclear and nuclear-related activities in the country, strengthen export controls and help prevent illegal trafficking, say ensure the peaceful nature of Vietnam's nuclear development program.

International treaties relating to Vietnamese nucleus have participated:

- The Treaty to ban nuclear proliferation (NPT) in 1982.
- The Inspection Agreement (SA) signed in 1989, ratified in 1990.
- The Comprehensive Nuclear Weapon Trial (CTBT) Treaty signed in 1996, approved in 2006.
- Treaty on non-nuclear Southeast Asia (1997).
- Convention on Quick Notification in the case of nuclear incidents (1987).
- Convention on assistance in case of a nuclear accident or emergency radiation incident (1987).
- Code of conduct on safety and security of radioactive sources, and Guidance on additional import and export of radioactive sources (accepted to IAEA on 11 August 2006.
- Additional Protocol (AP) signed on August 10, 2007.
- Currently studying to join the Convention on Nuclear Protection.

(According to Dr. Ngo Dang Nhan, Director of Department of Radiation and Nuclear Control and Safety, Ministry of Science and Technology)