Discussions highlighted the need for coordinated engagement across national, regional, and international stakeholders to develop resilient nuclear supply chains.
At the national level, key stakeholders include political leadership, regulators, operators, industry, academia, civil society organisations, media, and the private sector. Political leadership was widely seen as essential for setting direction and sustaining momentum over long timeframes. Regulators provide and maintain an effective and efficient national framework for the application of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, liability and other important aspects. They also have an important role to play in building public confidence in nuclear power. Regulators must enforce quality control along the nuclear supply chain including for components like cement that are not related to nuclear material but used in a nuclear power build. Quality control inspectors are required at every point of the supply chain and must be fully integrated into a strong safety culture, with the responsibility to speak up when they identify issues. Industry and civil society were repeatedly identified as important actors in maintaining pressure for continuity of nuclear programmes, particularly in contexts where political leadership changes.
At the regional level, regulators are collaborating through the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA) on harmonising of legislative and regulative frameworks, decommissioning and waste management. Financial institutions such as the African Development Bank and pan-African organisations such as the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) have a role to play in capacity building, regional coordination and resource mobilisation. At the international level, experienced nuclear countries, multilateral institutions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), multilateral development banks, private financiers and philanthropic organisations can provide assistance through financing, technical assistance, and programme development. The IAEA through its Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI) aims to harmonize regulatory approaches and standardize industrial approaches to ensure the effective global deployment of safe and secure advanced nuclear reactors[1], including SMRs and microreactors. Participants noted that international engagement can shorten learning curves and reduce risk but cautioned that long-term dependence on external partners could undermine resilience if not accompanied by deliberate long-term plans for supply chain localisation.
There were differing views on how regulators should communicate with the public on nuclear power. There was broad agreement that regulators should understand that independence of the regulator does not mean isolation. Regulators have a role to provide the public with credible information about the safety of the nuclear power programme. Participants observed that communication efforts often focus on audiences already familiar with nuclear issues. Public acceptance was identified as a persistent challenge for governments pursing nuclear power programmes, and participants noted that failure to engage media and civil society early can undermine political support. The public requires consistent, factual and reliable communication not only from regulators but also from politicians, operators and civil society.
[1] Advanced nuclear reactors are next-generation nuclear power systems designed to be safer, more efficient, and produce less waste than traditional reactors, often using new fuels, cooling methods, or smaller modular designs.