The obligations cited most frequently were (1)  establishing an effective legislative and regulatory framework (laws and  regulations) and a strong, effective, and independent nuclear regulatory  body and (2) preparing a national report every 3 years that describes the  measures the country has taken to achieve the Convention’s safety goals. The requirement to prepare a national report describing the steps parties  have taken to meet the Convention’s nuclear safety obligations also plays a  large role in strengthening the safety of civilian nuclear power programs,  according to survey respondents. Confidentiality among the Parties to the Convention Has Been Key to the Success of the Peer Review Process

According to most parties we surveyed and interviewed, maintaining the  confidentiality of information obtained during the Convention’s meetings  is critical to the peer review process. Concerns Exist about Some Aspects of the Convention’s Implementation

While the parties’ perceptions of the value of the Convention are generally  very positive, some concerns were raised about the lack of information  provided to the general public about the Convention’s proceedings, some  countries’ lack of resources to fully participate in the review meetings, and  the absence of performance metrics. Officials from NRC and State told us that the United States has always  made its national report available on the Internet. However, the U.S.  approach has been to lead by example rather than taking an active role in  encouraging other parties to the Convention to post their national reports  to the Internet. Half the  parties responding to our survey indicated that it did. Neither State nor NRC has formally proposed the adoption of performance  metrics. In their view, without Iran’s participation in  the Convention, the international community has limited or no insight on,  or access to, how Iran is developing, operating, and maintaining its  burgeoning civilian nuclear power program. Russia is helping Iran build the civilian nuclear  power reactor at Bushehr, which is expected to be commissioned in the  near future. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials told us that  Russia’s continued assistance to Iran’s civilian nuclear program may be  conditioned on Iran’s becoming a party to the Convention. An NRC official told us that this change has  made the process more open and accessible to all of the parties. IAEA’s Technical Cooperation Program, Safety Standards, and Peer Review Missions Play an Important and Growing Role in Promoting Nuclear Safety Worldwide

IAEA provides assistance to its member states to promote peaceful uses of  nuclear energy in several ways, including providing technical cooperation,  establishing safety standards, and conducting advisory and peer review  missions. IAEA’s TC program supports,  among other things, nuclear safety and the development of nuclear  power. These missions evaluate the operations of a member state’s  nuclear regulatory system and civilian nuclear power plant operational  safety, respectively. Recommendations for Executive Action

To further enhance the usefulness of the Convention in promoting the  safety of civilian nuclear power programs worldwide, we recommend that  the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Chairman of the Nuclear  Regulatory Commission, work with other parties to the Convention to take  the following three actions:    Encourage parties to include performance metrics in national reports to  better track safety in civilian nuclear power plants and help countries  more systematically measure where and how they have made progress in  improving safety. NRC generally agreed with our report but did not specifically agree or  disagree with the report’s recommendations, and State generally agreed  with the recommendations to (1) encourage parties to the Convention to  include performance metrics in their national reports to better track safety  in civilian nuclear power plants, (2) increase the number of parties’  national reports made available to the public by posting them to IAEA’s  public Web site, and (3) promote greater public dissemination of parties’  written answers to questions about their nuclear power programs by  posting this information to IAEA’s public Web site. Specifically,  we assessed (1) parties’ views on the perceived benefits and limitations of  the Convention; (2) efforts to improve the implementation of the  Convention; and (3) how International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)  programs complement the Convention’s safety goals and objectives. To assess parties’ views of the perceived benefits and limitations of the  Convention and efforts to improve implementation, we (1) interviewed  representatives of 17 nuclear and nonnuclear parties to the Convention as  well as officials from NRC and State responsible for representing the  United States at the Convention; (2) analyzed various Convention-related  documents from NRC, State, IAEA, and EU; and (3) conducted a Web- based survey of 64 parties to the Convention.
Why GAO Did This Study

Currently, 437 civilian nuclear power reactors are operating in 29 countries, and 56 more are under construction. After the Chernobyl accident, representatives of over 50 nations, including the United States, participated in the development of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, a treaty that seeks to promote the safety of civilian nuclear power reactors. The Convention has been in force since 1996. GAO was asked to assess (1) parties' views on the benefits and limitations of the Convention, (2) efforts to improve implementation of the Convention, and (3) how International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) programs complement the Convention's safety goals. GAO surveyed the 64 parties to the Convention for which it was in force at the time of GAO's review and analyzed the responses of the 32 that completed it, analyzed relevant documents, and interviewed U.S. and foreign officials.

What GAO Found

The Convention on Nuclear Safety plays a useful role in strengthening the safety of civilian nuclear power reactors worldwide, according to most parties to the Convention that responded to GAO's survey and representatives of parties GAO interviewed. In particular, parties indicated that the Convention's obligations to (1) establish effective legislative and regulatory frameworks and strong, independent nuclear regulatory bodies and (2) prepare a national report every 3 years that describes the measures the country has taken to achieve the Convention's nuclear safety goals, are among its most useful contributions. The countries present their national reports at review meetings, address questions that may arise about the reports, and assess and ask questions about the reports of other parties. This is known as the peer review process. Some concerns were raised about limited public access to Convention proceedings, some countries' lack of resources to fully participate in the review meetings, and the absence of performance metrics in the national reports to gauge progress toward meeting safety goals and objectives. Half of the parties responding to GAO's survey stated that the lack of performance metrics limited the usefulness of the Convention. Neither the Department of State nor the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has formally proposed the adoption of performance metrics. However, NRC officials told GAO that performance metrics could be useful. In addition, the number of parties posting their national reports to IAEA's public Web site has declined since 2005. NRC and Department of State officials told GAO that the United States has always made its national report available on the Internet. However, the U.S. approach has been to lead by example rather than taking an active role in encouraging other parties to post their reports. Further, universal participation would advance achievement of the Convention's goals. Several representatives from countries who are parties to the Convention told GAO that Iran should ratify the Convention. In their view, without Iran's participation, the international community has limited or no insight on, or access to, Iran's civilian nuclear power program. Russia, which is helping Iran build the nuclear reactor at Bushehr, may condition continued assistance on Iran becoming a party to the Convention, according to Russian officials. The parties have taken some actions to improve the Convention's implementation, and more proposals are being considered. Steps have been taken to make the process for asking questions during peer review meetings more open and to increase the amount of time available for preparing for the review meetings. IAEA nuclear safety programs, which predate the Convention, complement the Convention's safety goals through the Technical Cooperation program, safety standards, and peer review missions. The Technical Cooperation program supports, among other things, the development of nuclear power. IAEA has established nuclear safety standards and also promotes nuclear safety through peer review missions that evaluate the operations of a member state's nuclear regulatory system and nuclear power plant operational safety