NUCLEAR SECURITY

FANR Regulation on the Security of Radioactive Sources (FANR-REG-23) was revised in 2020 to take into account recommendations made by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS).

The scope of the revision included:

• Revising the threshold for radioactive sources that do not represent a substantial security concern but need to be controlled to prevent unauthorised removal and unauthorised access.

• Reviewing the physical security systems for radioactive sources in use, storage and transport.

• Reviewing procedural security measures and the application of a graded approach.

• Reviewing the security requirements on the transport of radioactive sources.

• Reviewing the trustworthiness checks and validation process for the licensee’s access to radioactive sources.

The IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources provides guidance on how states should safely and securely manage radioactive sources with the objective of achieving a high level of safety and security for radioactive sources that may pose a significant risk. The Code of Conduct includes guidance on general basic principles, legislation and the regulatory body; and contains specific guidance on the import and export of radioactive sources. Exporting and importing states are encouraged to follow the guidance when deciding whether to authorise imports and exports of Category 1 and 2 radioactive sources.

This revision of FANR-REG-23 included provisions for the secure import and export of Category 1 and Category 2 radioactive sources that:

• support the UAE’s efforts to satisfy the objectives of the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources; and

• ensure safe and secure international shipments of high risk Category 1 and Category 2 radioactive sources.

As a member of a Hazardous Material Management working group formed by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, FANR Radiation Safety Team participated in a project to locate, inspect and assess the majority of storage facilities for hazardous materials in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

All areas within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi that house hazardous materials were inspected to identify vulnerabilities with unacceptable consequences and to ensure that these risks are mitigated.

The illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials poses a critical security threat to the international community. To counter this threat, the international community is developing strategies to detect nuclear and other radioactive materials out of regulatory control. The development of an effective and sustainable national nuclear detection architecture is critical to the UAE’s efforts to deter, detect and prohibit nuclear and radioactive material outside regulatory control; and ultimately prevent acts of nuclear terrorism.

As part of its continuing efforts to assist the UAE to develop national nuclear detection, the Radioactive Sources Security team launched the UAE Detection Architecture Programme in 2020. This programme will support UAE stakeholders to develop and maintain robust detection.

FANR’s commitment to quality and excellence was demonstrated by maintaining the requirements of the ISO 27001:2013 certificate during the review period. As a globally recognised standard for information security management, this provides accreditation on FANR’s security practices to licensees and stakeholders; and ensures that FANR employs the best practices to protect business-sensitive information.

FANR continued to meet the requirements of the Abu Dhabi Monitoring and Control Centre certificate for FANR’s surveillance and control devices. This certification demonstrates that FANR has complied with the requirements of Abu Dhabi Law No. (5) for 2011 pursuant to which the Abu Dhabi Monitoring and Control Centre was established to manage and regulate the use of monitoring and control systems. It will also help advance FANR’s security measures, which will ensure the safety and security of FANR’s personnel and premises.

In 2020 FANR obtained the ISO 22301:2012 Certification for Business Continuity Management. This certification attests that FANR implements and improves a system to protect the business functions and ensure its continuity in case of unforeseen circumstances. As part of this, FANR has developed its business continuity management to ensure that critical activities remain available to staff and external stakeholders alike.