The beginnings of a Pacific Islands Regional Network for developing a common approach to safe transport of radioactive materials

Over the last two years, IAEA has conducted three workshops in the Pacific (New Zealand, Palau and Fiji) to facilitate safe transport of radioactive materials in the region. Technical support in running the workshops has been provided by experts from New Zealand, Australia, and Germany.This region faces numerous challenges due largely to its geographical isolation, lack of infrastructure and limited access to expertise and resources related to radiation safety and security.The workshops have successfully engaged many of the Pacific States in making the first steps to establishing a sustainable regional network. The approach has been a holistic one, recognising the particular needs of the region and encompassing safe transport of radioactive material within the broader context of radiation safety and security.A regional action plan has been developed and the formation of the network has been accomplished.The paper will discuss the conduct of the workshops, the topics covered, and the outputs. Some of the challenges will be discussed (for example lack of regulatory framework, expertise, resources, etc.). In addition an overview of the regional action plan for transport safety will be presented concluding with the way forward for the Pacific Islands Region.