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10 December 2024

Blix to head nuclear board

Blix to head nuclear board. (REUTERS)

Published
By Wam

The Ministry of Presidential Affairs yesterday announced the establishment of an International Advisory Board (IAB).

The board will provide the UAE nuclear programme with expertise and knowledge of a select group of internationally recognised experts in the field of peaceful nuclear energy.

The move follows up on the UAE commitments described in the "Policy of the United Arab Emirates on the evaluation and potential development of peaceful nuclear energy".

The board benefits from a distinguished membership chosen from among the world's most recognised experts in nuclear science, non-proliferation, regulatory affairs, energy generation and distribution, reactor operations, waste management, human resource development and related fields. The board comprises nine members and is chaired by Dr Hans Blix, who served as the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency for four terms, from 1981 until 1997. Other board members include:

- Jacques Bouchard, special advisor to the Chairman of the French Commissariat L'Energie Atomique, and former chairman of the Generation IV International Forum.

- Dr KunMo Chung, who served twice as Minister of Science and Technology in South Korea.

- Ambassador Thomas Graham, who serving as a senior US Diplomat was involved in negotiation of every major international arms control and non-proliferation agreement during the period 1970-1997. He is currently the Executive Chairman of the board of Lightbridge Corporation, a company which holds patents on a new type of nuclear power fuel based on thorium.

- Takuya Hattori, President of Japan Atomic Industrial Forum and President of JAIF International Cooperation Center. Hattori also, served as Executive Vice-President of Tokyo Electric Power Company.

- Lady Barbara Judge, Chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Lady Judge previously served as commissioner of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

- Dr Mujid Kazimi, Professor of Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr Kazimi previously served as Head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT.

- Jukka Laaksonen, Director-General of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland.

- Sir John Rose, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, a major nuclear component and service provider in the UK.

The board will meet semi-annually, to receive reports on the progress of the UAE nuclear programme against targets of achieving and maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation.

Board members will provide their invaluable insights into how the programme can be optimised against these targets.

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