Dubai: The United Arab Emirates will set up a nuclear regulatory body to monitor the peaceful use of atomic energy in the country.
The move is in accordance with the criteria set up by the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA as a framework for the successful implementation of the Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, official news agency Wam said.
A new federal law, issued by President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, prohibits the development, construction or operation of uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing facilities within the borders of the UAE.
In keeping with its policy commitment to complete operational transparency, the UAE consulted closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as the governments of major nuclear suppliers (France, the US, UK, Japan, South Korea) in the development of the law, the Wam reported.
Key features of the law include the establishment of the Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation, a fully independent nuclear safety regulatory authority, the development of a robust system for licensing and control of nuclear material and the criminalisation and assignment of harsh civil and criminal penalties for violating the law, including the unauthorised use, theft, transport or trade in nuclear materials.
In conjunction with the passage of the federal nuclear law, the Cabinet of Ministers also passed a resolution appointing the members of the board of management for the new regulatory body.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, October 05, 2009, 13:58