IAEA Safeguards Implementation and Verification of the Initial Inventory Declarations in the NIS

An area that has posed quite a challenge to the IAEA has been the emergence of a number of new States, known as the Newly Independent States (NIS), many with substantial nuclear programmes, resulting from the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. The IAEA has been conducting verification of the initial inventory declarations of these states. The status of the Safeguards Agreements and the IAEA safeguards implementation in each State of the NIS will be reviewed. The implementation of IAEA safeguards in this area is a totally new experience to the NIS as well as a new challenge to the IAEA. The Agency, while experiencing good cooperation from the state authorities, experiences problems in logistics and communications between the IAEA, State, and the operators. Improvments are needed at both State and Facility levles for an effective SSAC and continued assistance should be focused more on these problem areas. It is expected that the initial verification will be completed in 1997 for a majority of the NIS. The focus will then be shifted to the completeness assess of the state nuclear fuel cycle and to the start of the inspection activities on a routine basis as soon as possible.