The Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) delegation attending the 66th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held in Vienna from September 26 to 30 has highlighted the importance of safety culture for the improvement of the processes and the constant search for safety in different contexts, according to its competences.

The Spanish regulator has participated in numerous meetings and exchanges throughout these days, such as The Senior Regulators’ Meeting, the International Gender Champions Impact Group (IGC-IG), the Global Nuclear Safety and Security Network (GNSSN), chaired by the head of the CSN´s International Relations department, Alfredo de los Reyes. In these meetings, the status of the sector and the challenges it will have to face have been addressed. In this sense, the role of the CSN is very active and is recognized both by its counterparts and by the international institutions in which it is present.

The regulator's delegation was headed by its president, Juan Carlos Lentijo, and the commissioners Francisco Castejón and Elvira Romera, accompanied by the general secretary, Pablo Martín, and the regulatory body's technical director for radiation protection, Javier Zarzuela.

The CSN is also involved from the point of view of technical cooperation, where for years it has collaborated in the development and management of various programs for the improvement of regulatory infrastructures in Ibero-America and has supported interregional activities related to the control of radioactive sources. To this end, the Ibero-American Forum of Radiological and Nuclear Regulatory Bodies (FORO), in which the Spanish regulator plays a prominent role, is the institution of reference.

Senior Regulators

The CSN participated in the meeting of the IAEA Senior Regulators where it presented its experience in the Regulatory Infrastructure Development Projects (RIDP). Commissioner Francisco Castejón chaired the session on this matter, highlighting the importance of the solidity of the legislative framework and regulatory independence to carry out projects such as the one addressed in the session.

The CSN condenses its commitment towards nuclear safety and radiological protection through its collaboration with other countries with less development in these fields, contributing with its experience and good practices. The project, presented by the CSN technical director for radiation protection, Javier Zarzuela, includes both regulators and supranational organizations. An example of this is the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA) in which the CSN plays an active role through this project.

Through this activity, the Spanish regulator seeks to strengthen interaction with its counterparts, improve its coordination with the IAEA Global Nuclear Safety Network and encourage greater participation by the member states. In the same way, it is intended to give priority to large-scale advisory missions to sensitize the senior management of the target countries and advise them on those matters that they require.

International Gender Champions

The International Gender Champions (IGC) is a leadership network created within the United Nations, to which the CSN belongs, and which brings together women and men who make decisions to break down gender barriers and make equality a reality in their different spheres of influence. The network has more than 250 active institutions and 160 alumni who are the heads of international organizations, permanent missions and civil society organizations.

The Spanish regulator shares its experience at the IGC meetings and proposes initiatives to promote equality between men and women in the technical, scientific and regulatory fields, in which the CSN carries out its work. Commissioner Pilar Lucio, responsible for the regulator's participation in this forum, highlighted the fact that more than 50% of the CSN workforce is made up of women, who are involved in the organization's different job categories with a different degree of responsibility.

In order to confirm and achieve an equal structure in the body, the CSN is immersed in the development of the First Specific Equality Plan of the CSN, thus complying with the competence recognized in its Statute for the body itself to define its equality policies, reflected also in the current Strategic Plan of the regulator. Lucio stressed out the importance of this step to continue working on equality, whose implementation will mean the recognition of aspects and improvements as necessary as conciliation, equal opportunities, training and, in short, everything that allows the best potential of the CSN staff to be available and provide the best public service.

During the meeting, the commissioner also presented other initiatives of the CSN related to gender equality, the ones carried out in the past and those that are planned to be implemented in the future, in accordance with the firm commitment of the Spanish regulator in this matter.

 

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