Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The meeting was attended by IAEA experts Hilari Mansua and Jean-René Joubin, along with representatives from the Committee on Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety, the Ministries of Health, Defense, Emergency Situations, Ecology, Construction, Mining and Geology, the State Security Service, the State Customs Committee, the Hydrometeorological Service Center, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences, and the “O‘zatom” Agency.

Opening the session, Deputy Chairman S. Yakubekov emphasized the importance of developing the regulatory infrastructure for radiation and nuclear safety in Uzbekistan and the responsibility of all organizations involved in the upcoming main IRRS mission.

IAEA expert H. Mansua highlighted that the support and recommendations to be provided by the IAEA will depend directly on the self-assessment report prepared by Uzbekistan.

Participants discussed the roles and responsibilities of each agency involved in the mission.
Later, A. Ashirmetov, Chief Specialist of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Department, presented an overview of the existing regulatory infrastructure in Uzbekistan, the scope of the IRRS mission, and the institutions involved. His presentation covered the current legal and institutional frameworks, the roles and responsibilities of state authorities in radiation and nuclear safety, and emphasized the need to improve the infrastructure.

IAEA expert H. Mansua introduced the applicable IAEA safety standards, particularly GSR Part-1 — “Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety”, which are used to assess the implementation level of safety requirements. She also explained the structure and objectives of international safety standards, state obligations, and mechanisms of implementation. It was noted that Uzbekistan’s national legislation needs to be harmonized with IAEA standards.

The review and analysis of the national self-assessment report will continue until September 30, 2025.

Background:
The IRRS helps countries strengthen and improve the efficiency of their regulatory infrastructure in the fields of nuclear and radiation safety, radioactive waste safety, and transport safety.
It provides an independent peer review of technical and programmatic aspects of regulation, regardless of a country’s stage of nuclear program development.
During IRRS missions, the compliance of a country’s regulatory framework with IAEA safety standards is assessed, recommendations for improvement are provided, and examples of good practices applicable elsewhere are shared.
Countries hosting an IRRS mission are advised to organize a follow-up mission within four years to evaluate the implementation of recommendations and proposals.