Between the 5th and 6th of July, the XXIII Plenary Meeting of the Ibero-American FORUM of Radiological and Nuclear Regulatory Bodies (FORO) was held in the city of Brasilia, Brazil with the participation of the authorities of the regulatory bodies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay; together with its delegations and representatives of the Executive Technical Committee; the FORO Secretariat and the Scientific Secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
During the meeting, the Plenary discussed the future of the FORUM and agreed on its Action Plan for the 2018-2020 period in order to comply with the issues considered as priorities for the Association based on the Strategy for the six-year period 2016-2022.
As part of its usual agenda, the Plenary evaluated the FORO Technical Program, previously considered by the Executive Technical Committee, and approved three new projects in the areas of licensing of centralized radiopharmacies, transportation and licensing of nuclear reactor operators.
The Plenary approved the proposal of the CTE for the continuity of its President, Alfredo de los Reyes, for a new term and considered the state of cooperation with other organizations whose policies and objectives are of interest to the FORO, among them, the IAEA, its technical scientific reference, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, the Scientific Committee of the United Nations on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. He also reviewed his interaction with FORO-like organizations such as the international radiation protection association (IRPA), the Heads of European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) and the European Technical Safety Organisations Network (ETSON), among others.
The members of the Plenary realized a profitable exchange of experiences and regulatory knowledge, highlighting the relevant events since their previous meeting. They also considered the safety of radioactive sources and defined courses of action for the identification of issues of interest in nuclear security from a regulatory perspective.
The meeting ended with a ceremony for the transfer of the FORO presidency from the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) of Brazil to the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN), whose Executive Director will preside over the FORO until July 2019. ceremony was attended by authorities of the IAEA, the Brazilian government and diplomats. It reviewed the first 20 years of the FORO, the highlights of the Association during the presidency of CNEN and the near future.
