(POS-43) Strengthening the establishment and effectiveness of State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials(SSAC) for newcomer countries

The State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material (SSAC) is a crucial mechanism for implementing safeguards and regulating nuclear facilities. It functions as a collaborative tool with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), fulfilling a fundamental prerequisite for the effective implementation of safeguards while enhancing nuclear security and safety. The State Regulatory Authority (SRA) is tasked with the national execution of these safeguards, which involves the establishment of an SSAC in accordance with the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA). Newcomer states have limited experience with nuclear energy and may not have the safeguards infrastructures necessary to account for the quantities of nuclear material and technology associated with the initiation of a nuclear power program as well as the control of nuclear related trade. The safeguards infrastructure in the State needs to be developed to meet the State’s safeguards responsibilities, which is a requirement of the CSA. Within the SSAC framework, the SRA is responsible for measuring nuclear materials, managing reports from operators, and ensuring compliance through systematic inspections. An effective SSAC is pivotal in managing and controlling nuclear materials, providing critical information to the IAEA, facilitating inspections, conducting design verification activities, and validating operators' reports and declarations. This paper identifies all critical elements of an ideal SSAC framework, its requirements, maintenance and measures for long-term effectiveness. It also examines how nuclear related trade could be structured for a newcomer state importing Small modular reactors and analyses its SSAC framework. Enhancing the SSAC is crucial for the implementation of safeguards, especially concerning emerging technologies, and the necessary components are discussed. It also draws practical lessons from EURATOM and ABACC safeguards that could be implemented for regional cooperation between newcomer states.