International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation

Joint Statement
9th Executive Committee Meeting
Tokyo, Japan
15 November 2018
The Executive Committee of the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation(IFNEC) held its annual meeting on 15 November 2018, in Tokyo, Japan. Ministers and senior
representatives from 1 6 P a r t i c i p a n t c o u n t r i e s , 5 O b s e r v e r c o u n t r i e s a n d 4o b s e r v e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s met to discuss IFNEC-related matters and expressed to theGovernment of Japan their sincere appreciation for graciously chairing this year’s Executive
Committee Meeting. Earlier in the week, Japan also hosted IFNEC Working Group meetings onnuclear safety and safety culture and the Steering Group meeting, and a Conference on the challenges
and opportunities facing nuclear energy in an energy transitions context, which attracted over 130
participants. This conference was jointly sponsored by IFNEC and the Clean Energy Ministerial’s
Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future (NICE Future) initiative. The Executive Committee lookedforward to furthering the cooperation with this initiative, acknowledging the complementarities thisrelationship brings to the discussion on the role of nuclear energy among other clean technologies.
The Executive Committee recognized the key role nuclear energy is playing and could play formany countries throughout the world as a reliable, resilient, secure, clean, and long-term source ofelectricity production, and the potential it could have to increase its contribution through innovations
in reactor and fuel cycle technologies, as well as through a more synergistic integration of nuclear
energy systems with other clean sources. The Executive Committee also noted the challenges toimprove the cost efficiency of nuclear power, and to attract investment, in an increasingly competitivemarket. It also recognized the need to maintain a strong nuclear safety culture in all sectors of theindustry, while meeting the highest standards of security and non-proliferation, and to continue
developing and implementing cost-effective and safe solutions for the management of the back-endof the nuclear fuel cycle.
The forum that IFNEC represents provides opportunities to present, discuss and cooperate on
pathways for addressing those challenges. The Executive Committee encouraged I F N E Cm e m b e r Countries a n d o b s e r v e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s to continue to work together in mutually
beneficial ways including information sharing, lessons-learned, and synergistic non-duplicativeways, so as to consolidate the role of IFNEC as a dynamic forum where key stakeholders can gather
and develop high level discussions and analyses, and identify innovative ways to address challenges.
The Executive Committee expressed support for IFNEC’s current areas of focus as addressed by its
Working Groups, including nuclear infrastructure development aspects as well as issues related to themanagement of the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
The Executive Committee recognized the contributions of the Ad Hoc Nuclear Supplier and Customer
Countries Engagement Group (NSCCEG) in their in-depth conference held at the end of 2017 and theproceedings published in 2018 on the issues and opportunities of global and local supply chains andlocalization. The important work initiated on the role and responsibilities of supplier and customer
countries in furthering the establishment of nuclear safety and safety culture in nuclear projects, andthe leadership of the group’s co-chairs, Ambassador Rafael Grossi, Mr Hideo Shindo and MrFumikazu Sato, were recognized. As a result, the Executive Committee approved instituting this groupas a permanent Working Group and looked forward to its further contributions.
The Executive Committee also extended its appreciation to the co-chairs of the Infrastructure
Development Working Group (IDWG), Mr Alex Burkart and Mr John Mathieson, for the organization

International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperationof an extremely well-attended workshop in May 2018 in Paris on the new challenges facing regulators,and for co-organizing this week’s meeting in Tokyo on nuclear safety and safety culture. It recognized
the contributions of Mr John Mathieson who stepped down as co-chair of the group in May 2018 after
many years of service.
The Executive Committee also extended its appreciation to the co-chairs of the Reliable Nuclear Fuel
Services Working Group (RNFSWG), Mr Sean Tyson and Mr Tomaž Žagar, for their work informalizing the participation of the 19 countries and 3 international organization as members of theWorking Group, and their work with those members in planning and developing a workshop onidentifying alternative approaches to financing a multinational repository. The workshop will be hosted
by the NEA in Paris on 11 December 2018. The Working Group was encouraged to continue its work
on issues associated with the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
The Executive Committee welcomed the continued cooperation among IFNEC and the International
Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Energy Agency, the Generation IV International Forum andEuratom.
The Executive Committee approved the revised Governance document that clarifies the role andresponsibilities of the various groups within the Framework, and extended its deepest appreciation forthe leadership of Steering Group Chair Julian Gadano (Argentina) since taking over from former
Steering Group Chair, Ed McGinnis. It also welcomed new Vice Chair Mr Fumikazu Sato (Japan),approved the nomination of Mr Collins Juma (Kenya), Mr Vladimir Artisyuk (Russian Federation)and Ms Suzanne Jaworowski (United States) as new Vice Chairs of the Steering Group, and expressed
its deep gratitude to former Vice Chair Ms Anne Lazar-Sury (France) and Mr Hideo Shindo (Japan)
for their support for the previous Steering Group Chair Ed McGinnis and the current Steering Group
Chair Julian Gadano.
The Executive Committee was very grateful for t h e p r o f e s s i o n a l support provided by theNuclear Energy Agency as the Technical Secretariat for IFNEC, to the Working Groups, the SteeringGroup and the organization of IFNEC events, and extended its appreciation to NEA Director-General
Mr William D. Magwood, IV and to the staff of the IFNEC Technical Secretariat. It also reiterated its
call to IFNEC member countries to ensure that the Technical Secretariat is sufficiently funded in years
to come to continue to effectively support the work of IFNEC.
The Executive Committee welcomed expanded communications with and by its members to identify
crucial issues and needs which IFNEC could address to maximize the importance and relevance ofIFNEC’s work and outreach. It is in this spirit that the Executive Committee encouraged all IFNEC
Participant and Observer countries to share their perspectives and participate actively in future
IFNEC activities, including the workshop on financing multinational repositories on 11 December2018 in Paris, the NSCCEG meeting that China proposes to host in the first semester of 2019, as wellas the next Executive Committee meeting that the United States is considering to host in November
2019.