El Salvador’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira inaugurated a national workshop on the roles and functions of the Organisation for the Implementation of the Nuclear Programme (OINP). The week-long workshop, organised by the Río Lempa Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL), aimed to promote the peaceful use of atomic energy in El Salvador.
The event featured experiences and best practices from Estonia, which has developed a legislative framework for adopting nuclear energy. “This workshop showcases our commitment to energy innovation and better opportunities for everyone,” said Mira. She emphasised the importance of preparing for the challenges and opportunities of nuclear energy.
El Salvador recently joined three International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) instruments to establish a regulatory framework for nuclear energy. Mira highlighted El Salvador’s accelerated progress and strengthened relations with the IAEA. “For El Salvador, it is crucial to ensure the peaceful use of nuclear energy for economic and scientific development, diversifying our energy matrix with clean and renewable sources while maintaining high safety standards”, she stressed. Daniel Álvarez CEL President and General Director of Energy, Hydrocarbons & Mines, noted that the workshop will help shape the OINP.
Participants included technical staff from various government ministries and the University of El Salvador. The workshop was supported by the IAEA, represented by Liliya Dulinets, Head of the Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section.
In March, El Salvador deposited an instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on the Privileges & Immunities of the IAEA and instruments of accession to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. The IAEA hosted a meeting with representatives from the Government of El Salvador to assist in developing a draft nuclear law. The meeting was organised by the IAEA Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) and was attended by eight officials from the Directorate General of Energy, Hydrocarbons & Mines, the Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the IAEA, and other government entities.
During the two-day meeting, Daniel Álvarez, emphasised the importance of the draft law for El Salvador’s future. He stated that “El Salvador will go nuclear because we have a firm commitment to energy transition, environmental protection, and the economic development of our citizens. We are taking a historic step.”
The Head of the OLA’s Nuclear and Treaty Law Section, Anthony Wetherall, highlighted the significant process that El Salvador has made in developing its draft law. “We are pleased to see the efforts made by the Government of El Salvador to strengthen the national nuclear legal framework and join the relevant international legal instruments. We stand ready to provide further assistance, upon request.”
