PREVENTION OF THE INADVERTENT MOVEMENT AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF RADIOACTIVE AND NUCLEAR MATERIALS IN ARGENTINE BORDER

The inadvertent and illegal movements of radioactive and nuclear materials are issues of increased national and international awareness. States are progressively becoming more conscious of the need to adequately respond to these events. As regards the States’ regulatory infrastructure, the design and enforcement of control and verification measures to maintain the continuity of knowledge about possession, use and movements of radioactive and nuclear materials is of critical importance. The existence of an appropriate legislative framework and a regulatory authority empowered to establish effective safety and security measures are essential to prevent inadvertent and illegal movements of nuclear materials and other radioactive materials. The events of Sep.11, 2001 in the US have increased the States’ awareness on the need to review their national infrastructure to identify additional measures against inadvertent and illegal movements of radioactive and nuclear materials as well as against sabotage of nuclear facilities. Argentina has more than a half-century-old tradition regarding the control and supervision of all activities involving the use of nuclear and radioactive materials. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) of Argentina is the organization with federal competence in radiation protection, nuclear safety, safeguards and physical protection. It is responsible for issuing licenses and permits to any activity involving radioactive materials and for controlling and verifying that these activities are performed in full compliance with ARN standards and requirements. In the region, Argentina has been playing an important role in the prevention of illicit traffic of nuclear and radioactive materials for the last years within the framework of Security Commission of MERCOSUR1. The last goals of this initiative are to define and coordinate actions and to establish a set of common operational procedures in the countries participating in the mentioned multilateral organization to prevent the occurrence of such events. This paper describes the current nuclear regulatory system aiming at controlling all activities involving radioactive materials in the Country, focusing on particular emphasis in those related to border control to prevent and minimize illicit movements of nuclear and other radioactive materials across the borders.