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Welcome to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

GNEP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HOLDS MINISTERIAL-LEVEL MEETING IN PARIS, FRANCE ON OCTOBER 1, 2008

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership concluded a highly successful GNEP Executive Committee Ministerial Meeting on October 1, 2008, in Paris. France, as a GNEP Partner, served as Host and Chair of the Executive Committee Ministerial Meeting. The GNEP Partnership expanded from 21 to 25 full Partner nations, as Armenia, Estonia, Morocco and Oman joined. A nearly equal number of GNEP Observer nations and organizations attended as well. Some of the Observer nations indicated that deliberations were underway to join as full Partners in the near future. The Executive Committee received status reports from the Chairs of the GNEP Steering Group and the Infrastructure Development and Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Groups that reflected significant progress in just one year's time since the Partnership was formally established.

The Steering Group reported that a fully functional and operating three-tiered GNEP structure is now in place, and that the Steering Group and two Working Groups have all met at least twice each. The Steering Group Chair also reported that the Steering Group will give particular attention to building stronger partnerships between GNEP Partner countries and industry and reported that a White Paper on external interactions, including industry and academic institutions, had been agreed upon. The Infrastructure Development Working Group announced that a Virtual Library consisting documents and information useful to those Partner countries considering development of nuclear energy for the first time, and also reported that feasibility studies were underway for two of GNEP's Partner countries considering deployment of nuclear energy for the first time. The Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Group Chair reported that it had completed a survey among Partner countries on fuel services issues to better understand the challenges and barriers to realize GNEP-envisioned global fuel services and also reported that particular focus will now be given to the back-end fuel services. Following the reports, the Executive Committee discussed the need to focus on radioactive waste management, initially under the Infrastructure Development Working Group, and issued a Joint Statement that highlighted the important role that nuclear energy will play in addressing global climate challenges as a clean and reliable source of energy.

Regarding the next GNEP Executive Committee Meeting, the People’s Republic of China, as an original founder of GNEP, accepted the proposal that it serve as the Host and Chair of the next GNEP Executive Committee Meeting in 2009.

Executive Committee

About the Partnership

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is cooperation of those States that share the common vision of the necessity of the expansion of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes worldwide in a safe and secure manner. It aims to accelerate development and deployment of advance d fuel cycle technologies to encourage clean development and prosperity worldwide, improve the environment, and reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation.

The cooperation will be carried out under existing and, where appropriate, new bilateral arrangements as well as existing multilateral arrangements such as the Generation IV international Forum and the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles.

Today the partnership consists of twenty-five (25) partners, three (3) permanent international nongovernment observers; and a nearly equal number of observer countries. The partners are: Armenia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Estonia, France, Ghana, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jordan Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Morocco, Oman, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovenia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States. The three permanent international nongovernment observers are: the International Atomic Agency, the Generation IV International Forum and Euratom.

The Statement of Principles is the policy framework for the Partnership. A country can become a partner with an invitation from the existing partners and by affirming and signing the GNEP Statement of Principles. Invited countries may attend meetings as Candidate Partners to better understand the partnership before a decision to join is made. The International nongovernment organizations that have a direct relationship in GNEP may serve as observers at the invitation of the members.

The Partnership consists of a three-tiered organization. It receives its high-level direction from the GNEP Executive Committee comprised of Ministerial-level officials. The Steering Group, whose members are designated by the Executive Committee, carries out actions on behalf of GNEP at the direction of the Executive Committee. At a September 2007 meeting of the Executive Committee, two working groups were established to address matters concerning reliable nuclear fuel services and infrastructure development.

The GNEP Executive Committee concluded a very successful meeting on October 1, 2008 in Paris, France. France, as a GNEP Partner, chaired the Ministerial-level meeting. The GNEP Partnership expanded from 21 to 25 full Partner nations, as Armenia, Estonia, Morocco and Oman became partners, while a nearly equal number of Observer nations attended as well. The Steering Group Chair reported on the Partnership’s agreed approach with external entities, including industry and academic institutions. The attendees received reports from the Infrastructure Development and Reliable Nuclear Fuel Services Working Groups and provided direction for the next year’s activities. The Executive Committee released a Joint Statement highlighted the important role that nuclear energy will play in addressing global climate challenges as a clean and reliable source of energy.