What is the Asian Nuclear Safety Network (ANSN)?
Knowledge Network for Global Nuclear Safety Regime
Nuclear safety is a global issue. There are many instruments for achieving high
level of nuclear safety on a global basis, such as nuclear-safety-related conventions,
IAEA safety standards, safety review services provided by the IAEA.
In addition to such international instruments, knowledge networking plays an important
role in establishing and enhancing national and regional nuclear safety infrastructures
that consist of the elements such as safety regulation, operational safety, research
activities and education & training of staffs involved in nuclear safety. Self-sustaining
knowledge networking is expected to be a useful tool for sharing nuclear safety
information and experience and eventually for achieving high level of nuclear safety.
Objectives of the ANSN
The Asian Nuclear Safety Network (ANSN) was launched in 2002 to pool, analyse and
share nuclear safety information, existing and new knowledge and practical experience
among the countries. Moreover, the ANSN is expected to be a platform for facilitating
sustainable regional cooperation and for creating human networks and cyber communities
among the specialists of those countries. Development of a regional capacity building
system composed of knowledge network, regional cooperation and human networks will serve
for enhancement of nuclear safety infrastructures in the participating countries, and will
serve eventually for ensuring and raising the safety levels of nuclear installations in
the region. The ANSN has recently expanded to become a forum for broader safety strategy
among countries in the region.
The current participating countries are China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Australia, France, Germany and the USA
are ANSN supporting countries. Pakistan and Bangladesh are associated countries in activities
related to the safety of nuclear power plants and/or strengthening their regulatory frameworks.
Human Network
Nuclear Safety Strategy Dialogue among senior officials discusses broader safety strategy
and provides basic direction to the Steering Committee.
Under the Steering Committee composed of the representatives from the Asian and supporting
countries and the IAEA, Topical Groups are working in specific thematic areas as forums to
promote the ANSN at the forefront through holding specialists meetings, selecting documents
to be shared, finding workable solutions to emerging issues and exchanging their experiences
in respective areas.
In addition, an Information Technology (IT) Support Group provides IT support to the ANSN
and develops technical solutions to meet users’ requirements
IT Network
The IT part of the ANSN is a decentralized autonomous network system composed of three Hubs in
China, Japan and Rep. of Korea, five National Centres in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Thailand and Vietnam, and the main ANSN web site operated by the IAEA. They have their own databases
and are interconnected via Internet.
Access to the major part of the ANSN is restricted to authorized persons in the participating
and supporting countries. To simplify users’ access, the ANSN uses a single sign-on procedure that
allows authorized users to access other hubs and NCs without being requested to sign in again once
they log on to the main ANSN portal. Almost 7,500 documents including all materials and information
on more than 300 ANSN activities as well as other important documents and videos are pooled in the
database for knowledge sharing.
This IT network also serves as a management tool and a communication tool of ANSN activities.
Safety evaluation and proposals for activities are conducted through this IT Network. Discussion boards
among experts are available.
Capacity building based on Safety Evaluation
Important aspects of nuclear safety of a country from the legal and governmental infrastructure, education and
training, nuclear power plants and research reactors; emergency preparedness and response to radioactive waste
management are evaluated through a self assessment by the Member State and a peer discussion among Members. For each
of these areas, a set of specific topics are defined along with criteria for evaluating the status of each.
Based on the above safety evaluation, regional common needs and national specific needs to improve nuclear safety are
identified. Topical Groups propose activities with mid-term objective to respond to the needs. The Steering Committee
coordinates the proposals from Topical Groups and consults with other programmes, and decides an annual programme for
the next year.
Annually 30 to 40 workshops, training courses, and expert missions are implemented with the support of nuclear safety
experts from around the world, in particular the Supporting countries and IAEA.
Promotion of the ANSN
In order to increase the outreach of the ANSN, a newsletter is published on a bi-weekly basis since
March 2005 and distributed electronically to about 900 subscribers. The newsletter provides an overview
of recent technical activities carried out and those planned. It can also be accessed via the ANSN public
web site.
To promote the use of the ANSN among the participating countries, several promotional meetings — known
as ‘caravans’ — have been held during the past few years in various countries to introduce the ANSN and
also to demonstrate the practical utilization of the network. These meetings were very much welcomed and
some countries decided to organise additional caravan meetings to further promote the use of the ANSN at
national level. The ANSN was also presented at major international conferences including the Pacific Basin
Nuclear Conferences in 2006 and 2008, the International Conference on Knowledge Management in Nuclear Facilities
in June 2007 in Vienna and has been regularly displayed at the IAEA General Conferences.
Vision of the ANSN for the year 2020
The Asian Nuclear Safety Network will provide a sustainable regional network effectively supporting establishment
and continuous improvement of member country’s national nuclear safety infrastructure.
This regional network will function through a strong human and IT network, combined with a regional capacity
building system consisting of:
- Integrated Virtual Centre for existing and future Centres for Education and Training
- Technical Advisory Service and Cooperative activities
- Regional Support for Peer Review and Support Arrangement.
