Windhoek, Aug 8 (IANS) Namibia will apply to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus has said.
The Cabinet approved the move earlier this week. The Ministry of International Relations and Trade will lead the application process, which includes updating the country’s dossier and acting as the primary point, and establishing an interministerial committee tasked with implementing NSG guidelines, Theofelus said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
A ministerial delegation will engage with leaders of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the NSG on the margins of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria, in September to advance Namibia’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, she said.
The Cabinet has authorised the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy to establish a national independent regulator and mechanisms of safeguards, safety, and security, Theofelus said.
The NSG is a group of 48 nuclear supplier countries that seeks to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of guidelines aimed at ensuring effective control over transfers of nuclear materials, equipment, and technologies, as well as nuclear-related dual-use items.
The NSG Guidelines include the so-called “Non-Proliferation Principle,” adopted in 1994, whereby a supplier, notwithstanding other provisions in the NSG Guidelines, approves a transfer only when it is satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, according to the official statement.
The statement further said, said, “The Non-Proliferation Principle seeks to cover the rare but important cases where adherence to the NPT or to a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty may not by itself be a guarantee that a State will consistently share the objectives of the Treaty or that it will remain in compliance with its Treaty obligations.”
Each Participating Government (PG) enforces the NSG Guidelines as per its national laws and practices. Decisions regarding export applications are made at the national level in accordance with national export licensing requirements.
–IANS
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