The International Conference on Enhancing Nuclear Safety and Security Through Technical and Scientific Support Organizations (TSOs): Challenges and Opportunities in a Rapidly Changing World was hosted at the Headquarters in Vienna from 2-6 December 2024. It brought together experts from all over the world to exchange the best practices and enhance the technical and scientific capacities of TSOs to enhance and promote their potential contribution to the nuclear and radiation safety and security of facilities and activities. The special session was devoted to the IAEA-developed TSO Self-Capability Assessment Methodology aimed to assess and further develop the TSO scientific and technical capabilities, and evaluate how these are developed, sustained and applied in regulatory functions. The tool is of high interest for the TSOs worldwide and many Member States expressed their desire to implement it in their TSOs. In 2024 TSO self-assessment with the TOSCA toll was concluded in 2 countries – Armenia and Ghana. NRSC representative Marina Simonyan participated in the special session. She shared with the participants the company’s experience of conducting self-assessment with the IAEA-developed tool. The results of the self-assessment were discussed with the IAEA expert team during the National Workshop held in Armenia on 19-21 November 2024 and summarized in the recommendations, which will serve as a basis to develop an “Action plan” for their implementation.
On November 19-21, 2024, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center together with the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee hosted the expert team of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within the framework of the national workshop held in Armenia․ The purpose of the workshop was to get acquainted with the process of applying the TOSCA tool for self-assessment and its results․ The Center presented the results of its self-assessment and SWOT analysis to IAEA experts. The results of further discussions and analyses were summarized in the report of recommendations and findings published by the IAEA expert group, which will later serve as the basis for the development of the Action Plan. The experience of the Center for the application of the TOSCA tool will be presented at the IAEA during the international conference, which will take place on December 2-6, in Vienna/ Austria.
