The Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan at its plenary session approved the law "On Accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage" dated May 21, 1963. Accession to the international legal act is aimed at establishing a clear legal framework for regulating liability for the consequences of incidents at civilian nuclear facilities.
The Convention provides for the establishment of a regime of civil liability of the operator of a nuclear installation for damage caused as a result of radiation accidents, and also defines minimum requirements for providing financial guarantees of compensation to victims. In the event of an incident, there will be a procedure for compensation of damage to both individual citizens and the state as a whole.
The law is aimed at introducing insurance and compensation mechanisms, strengthening legal guarantees of nuclear safety and increasing confidence in the national regulatory system in the field of nuclear energy. According to the document, Uzbekistan gets access to key international mechanisms of legal regulation in the field of nuclear safety and will be obliged to comply with international standards for ensuring the protection of the environment and the population.
Accession to the Convention also provides a basis for deepening cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and implementing joint programs, including promising projects for the development of nuclear energy and nuclear technologies. It is expected that this decision will accelerate the development of the regulatory framework and simplify the integration of Uzbekistan into the international system of nuclear responsibility and control.
Following the discussion, the bill was unanimously supported by members of the Senate.
