PNNL

Chanel Chauvet served as the legal expert in recent efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to update Uzbekistan's Integrated Nuclear Security Support Plan (INSSP) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Chauvet provided subject matter expertise on the legislative and regulatory framework of the plan and delivered information on behalf of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security concerning its programs and other types of support that it could provide to partner countries.

Leading legislative and regulatory analysis

The overall INSSP permits the IAEA and other entities willing to provide nuclear security assistance to coordinate and implement activities to improve the security of nuclear and radioactive materials. The INSSP is intended to streamline the use of resources across aiding offices and potentially reduce the risk of duplicating efforts.

As an international lawyer within Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL's) Global Security Technology and Policy group, Chauvet is part of a team of trained lawyer-analysts who perform training, engagement, and capacity building with a broad range of foreign partners. On the INSSP, Chauvet focused on the legal and regulatory framework, which is just one of six functional areas composing the plan. Other functional areas in the plan address threat and risk assessment, physical protection, detection of and response to criminal and unauthorized acts involving material out of regulatory control, and nuclear security regime sustainability.

"The goal is to strengthen and support the nuclear security regime of the State and to help review and update the national comprehensive plan for nuclear security,” said Chauvet. “The Legal Frameworks team is unique to PNNL and offers support as it relates to the development of international guidance and best practices, in addition to training and capacity building for U.S. partner foreign governments, and research and analysis on U.S. and international law.”

Strengthening nuclear security through collaboration

The overall engagement was well received, with Uzbek Ministerial stakeholders noting the strength of the participants in providing their expertise and contributions to the INSSP, specifically remarking in part, "with the help of this mission, we were able to account for a number of considerations to improve our overall nuclear security capabilities."

“For a country in the process of developing a nuclear power program, this type of effort helps the State to identify important legal and regulatory considerations to ultimately improve its overall nuclear security,” said Chauvet.

The delegation was led by Assel Khamzayeva, Nuclear Security Officer from the IAEA, and included representatives from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Kazatomprom in Kazakhstan. Representatives from the following ministries were in attendance at this event, including: the State Committee for Industrial Safety of the Republic of Uzbekistan; the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Emergency Situations; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Customs; Ministry of Ecology and Environmental Protection; the Academy of Sciences; and the State Committees for Geology and Mineral Resources, in addition to representatives of Ozatom, which manages nuclear energy.

“It was an honor and a privilege to serve as a delegate in this mission, and I enjoyed working with the team to deliver critical support,” Chauvet said.

To learn more about the Uzbekistan INSSP effort, read the press release.