Radioactive waste management: Canada’s international commitments

Canada is a member of several international organizations in order to strengthen nuclear safety at home and abroad. Two of the key international organizations in which Canada participates are the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD NEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Canada is a signatory of the IAEA’s Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. This Joint Convention is an international agreement governing all aspects of spent fuel and radioactive waste management and the first legally binding international treaty on safety in these areas. The Joint Convention’s objectives are to:

• achieve and maintain a high level of safety in spent fuel and radioactive waste management
• protect individuals, society and the environment from ionizing radiation
• prevent accidents and, if necessary, mitigate their consequences

Every three years, Canada submits a National Report for peer review on how they meet their obligations under the Convention and attends the triennial Review Meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna to present and discuss its National Report. The peer review meetings also provide an international forum for cooperation and experience sharing for regulators, government agencies, and industry. It also provides opportunities to learn about international decommissioning experience and the status of waste repositories in various countries. 

Learn more about the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.