The Eighth Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) was held on 5 - 9 JULY 2021 via video conference, and chaired by Ms. Zubaidah Haji Mahmud, Director for Radiation Department of the Safety, Health, and Environment National Agency (SHENA) of Brunei Darussalam and attended by all Members of ASEANTOM and the ASEAN Secretariat. Representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission (EC), ENCO Consulting, ENVINET, ASEAN Nuclear Energy Cooperation Sub-Sector Network (NEC-SSN), ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) as well as the Republic of Korea attended Session 1 and 2 of the Meeting, which discussed cooperation with dialogue partners.
The Seventh Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) was held on 24-25 November 2020 via Videoconference, and chaired by Mr Nguyen Tuan Khai, Director[1]General of Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS), and attended by all Members of ASEANTOM and the ASEAN Secretariat. Representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission (EC), as well as the Republic of Korea attended Session 1 of the Meeting, which discussed cooperation with external partners.
The Sixth Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) was held on 1 - 4 July 2019 in Krabi, Thailand, and chaired by Ms. Rachada Hemapattawee, Deputy Secretary-General of Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) and attended by representatives of all ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat. Representatives from the Government of Republic of Korea, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ENCO Consulting, European Commission (EC) and the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) also attended Day 1 of the Meeting, where on cooperation projects with dialogue partners were discussed, and the Technical Session on Nuclear Security by the IAEA on Day 4 of the Meeting.
Singapore, 28 June 2018 – Nuclear regulators from all 10 ASEAN Member States met in Singapore from 26 June to 27 June (am) for the 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) Annual Meeting, and from 27 June (pm) to 28 June for the Technical Workshop on Nuclear Safety, Human Resource Development and Emergency Preparedness. The events were attended by 45 participants from the regulatory bodies of the ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), European nuclear science agencies, and other international organisations. This was the first time that Singapore, the 2018 Chair of the ASEANTOM, has hosted this series of ASEANTOM Annual Meetings. More details of ASEANTOM can be found in Annex A.
Safeguarding People and the Environment through Regional Cooperation
2 As economic development progresses in ASEAN, the use of nuclear and radiation technology in industry and medicine will grow. In view of ASEAN’s growing energy needs, some ASEAN Member States are also exploring the option of nuclear energy for power production. Countries neighbouring ASEAN are stepping up the use of nuclear energy to meet their power needs. There is therefore a need to ensure safety in the region by enhancing cooperation among ASEAN Member States to strengthen regulatory regimes and human capacity development in ASEAN. To this end, ASEANTOM serves as a framework for ASEAN regulatory authorities to improve regulatory activities, nuclear safety, security and safeguards within the ASEAN Community by enhancing cooperation and complementing the work of existing mechanisms at the national, bilateral, regional and international levels. ASEANTOM also supports and contributes to ASEAN’s goal of preserving Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.
Reinforcing Collaboration Regionally and Internationally
3 ASEANTOM Members gathered for the 5th Annual Meeting to discuss the progress of ongoing regional projects with the IAEA and the European Commission to strengthen emergency preparedness and response arrangements at the national and regional levels, so as to protect the public and the environment, and to develop regional protocols for assessment and decision making during nuclear and radiological emergencies.
4 ASEANTOM Members also deliberated on new projects with the European Commission and the United States of America’s Department of Energy, to further strengthen ASEAN’s readiness to respond to nuclear or radiological events.
5 The Annual Meeting discussed the establishment of a framework of cooperation between ASEAN and the IAEA to develop and implement joint projects, research activities, and capacity building activities.
6 ASEAN Member States also adopted a five-year ASEANTOM work plan proposed by Singapore, which laid out the roadmap for key areas of focus for ASEANTOM from 2018 to 2022. The work plan details the action programmes, key objectives, milestones, and deliverables to work towards achieving ASEANTOM’s objective of assisting ASEAN Member States to implement their relevant commitments to the IAEA’s safety, security, and safeguards standards and guidelines, as laid out in ASEANTOM’s Terms of Reference, as well as the relevant targets set out in the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025.
7 The National Environment Agency’s (NEA) Director-General, Environmental Protection Division, Mr Ram Bhaskar, who chaired the meeting said, “We had a fruitful meeting. ASEAN Member States discussed various projects to strengthen ASEAN’s emergency preparedness and response for nuclear and radiological emergencies. The five- year ASEANTOM workplan, which Singapore proposed, was adopted during the meeting. Singapore will continue to work closely with ASEAN Member States to make further progress together for the benefit and safety of the people in ASEAN.”
Deepening Expertise in Nuclear Safety and Security
8 The technical workshop comprised talks delivered by nuclear experts from international organisations and regulatory bodies. Speakers from the IAEA, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Viet Nam, the United States of America, and Singapore shared information in areas such as building national capabilities for nuclear and radiological safety and security, human resource development, plume dispersion modelling, and the use of dispersion models in supporting decision-making.
9 Singapore looks forward to participating in the 6th ASEANTOM Annual Meeting next year, which will be hosted by Thailand’s Office of Atoms for Peace. Singapore remains committed to ASEANTOM and supports ASEANTOM’s efforts to collaborate with the international community and regional partners to strengthen regional regulatory and operational practices.
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ANNEX A
Factsheet on the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM)
Formation
The ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) was formally established in 2013 at the ASEAN Joint Preparatory Meeting, held in parallel with the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (ASEAN SOM). Thailand’s Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) hosted the first ASEANTOM Annual Meeting in Bangkok that year. ASEANTOM was subsequently designated in 2015 as a body under the ASEAN Political-Security Community Pillar of the ASEAN Charter.
Objectives
2 The objective of ASEANTOM is to enhance regulatory activities and further strengthen nuclear safety, security and safeguards within the ASEAN community by enhancing cooperation and complementing the work of existing mechanisms at the national, bilateral, regional and international levels. ASEANTOM is intended to serve as a framework for cooperation amongst nuclear regulatory bodies or relevant authorities within ASEAN. ASEANTOM also supports and contributes to ASEAN’s goal of preserving Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.
Scope
3 ASEANTOM will focus on cooperation of regulatory bodies and relevant authorities amongst the ASEAN Member States, on a consensual basis, on the following:
• Sharing of best practices and exchange of experiences in regulating nuclear and radioactive materials and related activities, with regard to safety, security and safeguards;
• Capacity building by focusing on human resources development through training courses and technical collaboration;
• Assisting ASEAN Member States to implement their relevant commitments to the IAEA standards and guidelines;
• Mutual exchange of information as confidence building measures on nuclear activities in each country to promote transparency in safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear energy within the region; and
• Forging regional cooperation in nuclear emergency preparedness and response, environmental radiation monitoring, and nuclear security.
The various heads and representatives of nuclear regulatory bodies in Southeast Asia performing the iconic ASEAN handshake during the opening of the 4th Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM) on December 7 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Quezon City.
From left: Mr. Mohd Pauzi Mohd Sobari of Malaysia, Mr. Van Vinh Tran of Vietnam, Ms. Siriratana Biramontri of Thailand, Mr. Phonesavanh Lathdavong of Lao PDR, Mr. Khin Maung Latt of Myanmar, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Division of Nuclear Security Director Mr. Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan, Mr. Carlo Arcilla of the Philippines, Mr. Kim Hock Koh of Singapore, Mr. Sodavath Chan of Cambodia and Mr. Ishak Hasanuddin of Indonesia.
The Philippines Successfully Hosts 4th ASEANTOM Annual Meeting
Representatives from the various nuclear regulatory bodies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in the Philippines as it hosted the 4th Annual ASEANTOM Meeting and Technical Session on Nuclear Security on December 7 to 8, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Quezon City.
The ASEANTOM, or ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy, was established in 2013 to strengthen nuclear safety, security, and safeguards by enhancing cooperation and complementing the work among the ASEAN countries with the existing mechanisms at the national, regional, and international levels.
The countries participating in the ASEANTOM are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Aside from the annual meeting, the event also included technical sessions that will discuss on matters such as the current status of nuclear security in each ASEAN country, the role of various networks such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Global Nuclear Safety and Security Network (GNSSN) and Asian Nuclear Safety Network (ANSN), the strengthening of partnerships with other countries such as the USA, European Union, Canada, Australia, China, Japan and Korea, and future IAEA-supported projects on the security of radioactive sources throughout the ASEAN region.
The meeting was also sponsored in part by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
After the two-day event, the visiting representatives from ASEAN countries visited the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant on December 9.
The PNRI serves as the Philippines’ regulatory body for nuclear and radioactive materials.
