The Convention contains a requirement that the Contracting Parties establish and maintain a legislative and regulatory framework to govern the safety of nuclear installations. There are obligations to be met covering general safety considerations, such as the necessity for policies which give priority to safety, adequate financial and human resources for safety, the assessment and verification of safety, as well as adequate quality assurance, radiation protection and emergency preparedness programmes. Other obligations cover safety in the siting, design, construction and operation of nuclear installations. Under the draft Convention, each Contracting Party is required to take adequate national measures to assure nuclear safety and to report to the other Contracting Parties on the measures taken. The peer review process, whereby the Contracting Parties meet to discuss national reports, is the Convention's key mechanism for promoting a high level of nuclear safety worldwide.
Further work is needed to draft the specific provisions governing the conduct of such meetings.
The Agency is ready to assume the responsibilities as depository of the Convention and as the body providing Secretariat services for meetings of the Contracting Parties. The path to this Conference has not been altogether easy. The text you are asked to review and adopt represents a milestone. The IAEA Secretariat remains ready to assist this Conference and, to the extent mandated, in the implementation of the Convention. Let me conclude by wishing you every success in the adoption of this most important instrument.