Burkina Faso’s parliament has approved the nuclear agreement with Russia signed in June in Saint Petersburg. The ad hoc bill was unanimously adopted by the Burkinabe Transitional Legislative Assembly.
The document lays the groundwork for:
- construction of civil nuclear infrastructure;
- transfer of technology and expertise;
- training of Burkinabe executives (several are already in Russia);
- safe management of radioactive waste; and
- development of nuclear power in healthcare, agriculture, and industry.
With electricity access rates at just 34.2% in 2024, this strategic partnership is a concrete and ambitious response to the country’s chronic energy deficit.
Meanwhile, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) national workshop was held in Ouagadougou under the framework of the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme, and the Technical Cooperation Interregional Project for Legislative Assistance in cooperation with Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation. The workshop, which focused on the legal framework for safe and secure and peaceful nuclear energy, provided Burkina Faso with key information and insights on developing legislation to support the establishment of a nuclear power programme.
The event brought together representatives from key national institutions, including high-level officials and legal experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Atomic Energy Agency of Burkina Faso, the Presidency of the Interim Legislative Assembly, the Prime Minister’s office, the Ministry for Environment, the National Agency for Radiation Protection & Nuclear Safety, the National Security Council, the Ministry for Higher Education, Research & Innovation, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Discussions covered international legal instruments on nuclear safety, security, safeguards and civil liability for nuclear damage, as well as the content of national nuclear legislation. The aim of the workshop was to “engage national actors in understanding the entire legal infrastructure surrounding nuclear power,” said Maimounata Ouattara, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the Federal Republic of Austria and the International Organisations based in Vienna. “Nuclear law is a very specific area of law that requires capacity building and empowerment of national actors so that they can take ownership of and domesticate the entire legal arsenal surrounding nuclear power around the world and in Burkina Faso,” she added.
The workshop strengthened stakeholders’ understanding of the nuclear legal framework both from an international and national perspective, emphasising the need to establish an adequate nuclear legal framework to support Burkina Faso’s existing and planned activities. It also provided a platform for exchanging views on the legal requirements for the safe and secure development of nuclear energy.
Sougournonma Adama Sawadogo, a lawyer in the Treaties & International Agreements Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the workshop discussions were useful in terms of both theoretical knowledge and practical aspects. “They allowed me to broaden my perspective on the crucial role of nuclear law in promoting the safe, secure, and peaceful use of atomic energy,” he said. “I particularly appreciated the availability and teaching skills of the experts, who were able to make complex concepts accessible, particularly the terminology used in nuclear law.”
The IAEA team also held bilateral meetings with Burkina Faso’s Minister of Environment, Water & Sanitation and the Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Regional Cooperation.
