Mechanism

International co-operation

International Mechanisms (all international mechanisms rely on international co-operation)

Regulatory Framework: Safeguards

Dedicated Record Sets and Summary Files;

Memory Institutions;

Connection to other

Markers;

approaches/

Time Capsules;

mechanisms

Culture, Education and Art;

Oversight Provisions:

: all the mechanisms under all these approaches can, to a larger of smaller extend, be part of/benefit from

international co-operation (see also the field “International dimension” in the different mechanism

description sheets)

• Schneider, T. and C. Reaud (2013), “Supranational Mechanisms to support Records, Knowledge and

Memory Preservation over the medium term”, in The Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory

Information resources

(RK&M) Across Generations: Improving Our Understanding – Proceedings of the second RK&M Workshop,

issued by the RK&M

12-13 September 2012, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, pp. 71-75.

initiative

• NEA (2015), “International Mechanisms to Support Records, Knowledge and Memory Preservation Over

the Short and Medium Term”, Study prepared in the framework of the NEA Initiative on the

Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory (RK&M) across Generations, NEA/RWM/R(2015)2.

Other information

—

resources

• IAEA International Nuclear Safety Group (INSAG), see www.iaea.org/topics/nuclear-safety-and-

security/committees/insag

• Various IAEA projects such as GEOSAF (see www-ns.iaea.org/projects/geosaf/) or HIDRA (see www-

ns.iaea.org/projects/hidra/)

• NEA Radioactive waste management Committee (RWMC) and corresponding initiatives (such as the

RK&M initiative), projects and working groups, see www.oecd-nea.org/rwm/

• Implementing Geological Disposal of radioactive waste Technology Platform, see https://igdtp.eu/

• EU Joint Programming, see https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/policies/eu-approach-aid-

effectiveness/joint-programming_en

Examples

• EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, see www.eda.europa.eu/procurement-

biz/information/codeda-regulationaba/eu-framework-programme-for-research-and-innovation

• The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG), see www.ensreg.eu/

• The International Association for Environmentally Safe Disposal of Radioactive Material (EDRAM), an

association of organisations with responsibility for management of radioactive waste in their

respective countries, see www.edram.info/index.php?id=249

• Group of European Municipalities with nuclear Facilities (GMF), see www.gmfeurope.org/

• Greenpeace International, see www.greenpeace.org/international/

• Safecast, an international, volunteer-centered organisation devoted to open citizen science for the

environment, see https://blog.safecast.org/about/

Mechanism

International Education and Training Programmes

Approach

International mechanisms

This mechanism is about dedicated international higher education and training programmes in the

broad field of RWM, contributing to the capacity building of the various stakeholders, sometimes with a

Definition/description

specific focus on the development of local expertise (e.g. IAEA programmes). It can cover topics

belonging to the natural sciences and engineering, to the social sciences and humanities, but also RK&M

preservation itself.

Education and training in nuclear sciences and waste management, with regard to both technical and

How does this

social aspects, is crucial for maintaining a level of knowledge sufficient to develop, maintain and

understand information related to the repository and the decision-making processes leading to and

mechanism contribute

governing the repository.

to RK&M preservation/

International programmes can support the education and training of local experts and the framework for

How can it be

mobilising pluralistic expertise. These are key elements to foster knowledge sharing and ultimately

implemented?

knowledge continuity. International programmes also foster mutual understanding across borders and,

to a certain degree, international co-operation.

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Mechanism

International Education and Training Programmes

Does the mechanism mainly preserve information, records, knowledge, memory, or awareness?

Information:

Records:

Knowledge: X

Memory:

Awareness:

Education and training focuses on knowledge development and preservation. Indirectly, they contribute

to the preservation of information and memory related to disposal projects.

What is the level of detail addressed/provided by the mechanism?

Low level of detail:

High level of detail: X

Scope

International education and training programmes usually cover high levels of detail.

What is the main geographical or administrative-political scope

(development/implementation/operation) of the mechanism? On which scale does the mechanism

notably enable RK&M preservation?

[Note also the field “International dimension” further below.]

Local:

Regional:

National:

International: X

Virtual:

Online formats exist (e.g. MOOCs, Massive Open Online Courses), adding a virtual component to the

generally international scope of this mechanism.

Which timescale(s) is this mechanism mainly aimed at (target timescale)?

Long term:

Medium term:

Short term: X

Very short term: X

International education and training supports knowledge development and management throughout

disposal projects extending over several decades.

When should this mechanism be implemented? This may or may not be equal to the target timescale.

Timescales

Pre-operational: X

Operational: X

Pre-closure: X

Post-closure:

International education and training on RWM, as described here, should continue until closure of the

repository.

When should this mechanism be developed? This may or may not be equal to the implementation

timescale.

Done: X

Pre-operational:

Operational:

Pre-closure:

Post-closure:

International education and training on RWM, as mechanisms and concepts, readily exist. Their fine-

tuning according to the topical matters of the time can be considered part of their implementation.

Should the mechanism be implemented intentionally (e.g. time capsules) or is its emergence largely

unintentional (e.g. surface traces) or can it not be fully controlled (e.g. art work)?

Intentional: X

Unintentional:

Cannot be controlled:

International education and training programmes would be developed and implemented intentionally.

Is the mechanism mainly tangible or intangible?

Characteristics

Tangible:

Intangible: X

Education and training are in themselves intangible, but supported by tangible devices such as

textbooks and equipment (e.g. radioactivity detectors).

Does the mechanism mainly rely on mediated transmission or non-mediated transmission?

Mediated transmission: X

Non-mediated transmission:

Education and training are prime examples of mediated transmission as they are about the transfer of

information and knowledge from one generation to the next.

International education and training programmes are typically developed and organised by

international agencies, organisations cooperating at the international level or upon the initiative of

Actors

national states or organisations. The content is often defined by these agencies in collaboration with

several stakeholders (such as universities, implementing agencies, industry, regulators, technical support

organisations and research institutes, local community representatives). Multidisciplinarity is a key factor.

International education and training programmes are directly aimed at knowledge capacity building and

preservation.

Main

Furthermore, they may foster the implementation of international standards, in particular regarding

strengths/benefits

safety. E.g. many of the IAEA programmes are designed for safety education, to ensure that member

countries commit an appropriate level of dedication and funding to nuclear safety and control. Similar

effects can be pursued for the field of RK&M preservation.

Specific

Sustained interest and funding over time, especially in the context of nuclear phase-out, poses a

issues/challenges

significant challenge for this mechanism.

International

The international nature is inherent to this element.

dimension

Culture, Education and Art: Research, education and training (at the national, regional and local level)

Connection to other

International Mechanisms: International Standards and Guidelines: (international education and training

programmes help disseminating and implementing international standards and guidelines [e.g. IAEA Safety

approaches/

principles])

mechanisms

RK&M preservation in general and all its approaches and mechanisms can be part of international education

and training programmes

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Mechanism

International Education and Training Programmes

Information resources

—

issued by the RK&M

initiative

Other information

—

resources

• NEA Nuclear Education, Skills and Technology (NEST) Framework: aims at addressing important gaps

in nuclear skills capacity building, knowledge transfer and technical innovation in an international

context. See www.oecd-nea.org/science/nest/

• IAEA Education & Training, see www-ns.iaea.org/training/

• European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN): dedicated to the preservation and the further

Examples

development of expertise in the nuclear fields by higher Education and Training through the

co-operation between universities, research organisations, regulatory bodies, the industry and any

other organisations involved in the application of nuclear science and ionising radiation. See

www.enen.eu/en/emsne/information.html

• ANNETTE Project (Advanced Networking for Nuclear Education, Training and Transfer of Expertise),

see www.enen.eu/en/projects/annette.html

• ELINDER: European Learning Initiatives for Nuclear Decommissioning and Environmental

Remediation, see https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/training-programme/elinder

Mechanism

International Archiving Initiatives

Approach

International mechanisms

Information resources set up and run by international agencies or privately-run and/or commercial

initiatives, aimed at the permanent preservation of selected record collections of universal value and/or

international scope. The preservation of “original” material (i.e. in its original format, on the original

Definition/description

medium) is particularly important. Special care is taken to maintaining the context of each collection.

There is, at present, no international archive dedicated to RWM. The IAEA does preserve the official

records documenting its programme activities and its historical material on nuclear topics, including

RWM. Similarly, records documenting the work of Euratom are part of the historical archives of the

European Union.

An international archiving initiative has the same general purpose as a national or local archive,

i.e. selecting, acquiring, preserving and making available records (including both documents and

objects) in a coherent and contextually meaningful manner. The difference lies in the scope of the

How does this

archive, the responsible actors, and the content.

Depending on their scope, existing initiatives – e.g. in the broader field of nuclear energy – already host

mechanism contribute

selected records related to radioactive waste disposal. Under the aegis of an international organisation

to RK&M preservation/

such as the IAEA, or independently, an international archiving initiative could be established to preserve

How can it be

material specifically dedicated to RWM, in particular records related to waste repositories.

implemented?

More generally, international (as compared to national) archives could also be dedicated to – and hence

point to – the universal aspects of RK&M preservation, such as “legacy of past activities”, “waste

management” in general or “hazardous waste sites” in particular. Such initiatives can also point to

national/regional/local archives.

Does the mechanism mainly preserve information, records, knowledge, memory, or awareness?

Information: X

Records: X

Knowledge:

Memory:

Awareness:

Archives preserve records with information. By paying special attention to maintaining contextual

information and coherence among record collections, archives aim to support both users’ ability to

understand, interpret and use the content of the records (knowledge) and a broader awareness of

events, people, places and levels of knowledge in the past (memory). If a dedicated international RWM

archive would be established, its sheer existence would also support awareness.

What is the level of detail addressed/provided by the mechanism?

Scope

Low level of detail:

High level of detail: X

The focus of (whole) archives is on detailed information supporting knowledge, more than on basic

information supporting awareness.

What is the main geographical or administrative-political scope (development/

implementation/operation) of the mechanism? On which scale does the mechanism notably enable

RK&M preservation?

[Note also the field “International dimension” further below.]

Local:

Regional:

National:

International: X

Virtual: X

Depending on the kind of international archive and its access policy, the geographical/administrative

scope may be of limited relevance and its main functioning is online/virtual.

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Mechanism

International Archiving Initiatives

Long term: X

Medium term: X

Short term:

Very short term:

Timescales

Pre-operational:

Operational:

Pre-closure: X

Post-closure: X

For this mechanism, the implementation timescale refers to the transfer of records to international

archives. Because of their focus on collections of records, the transfer is unlikely to happen throughout

the operational phase.

When should this mechanism be developed? This may or may not be equal to the implementation

timescale.

Done:

Pre-operational:

Operational: X

Pre-closure: X

Post-closure: X

For this mechanism, the development timescale refers to the creation of a dedicated international

archive, or to collaboration with existing international initiatives to transfer radioactive waste disposal

related records.

Should the mechanism be implemented intentionally (e.g. time capsules) or is its emergence largely

unintentional (e.g. surface traces) or can it not be fully controlled (e.g. art work)?

Intentional: X

Unintentional:

Cannot be controlled:

International archiving initiatives are intentional.

Is the mechanism mainly tangible or intangible?

Characteristics

Tangible: X

Intangible:

Archives and their content are tangible.

Does the mechanism mainly rely on mediated transmission or non-mediated transmission?

Mediated transmission: X

Non-mediated transmission: X

Archives use both mediated and non-mediated transmission. While the collection of records is

continuously and actively maintained for preservation and accessibility purposes (mediated

transmission), the content of the individual records is fixed and is transferred in a non-mediated way.

An international archiving initiative dedicated to RWM may be set up and run by an international agency

or a private organisation. Collaboration between implementing agencies, regulators, states and

organisations such as national archives will be required in the decision and development of such an

initiative.

Actors

These actors would also be involved in the decision to make use of an appropriate existing archive

initiative outside the field of RWM.

Archiving specialists should be involved.

The broader the societal awareness of the existence of the archive and the potential to make use of it,

the better.

The main mission of any archive is the long-term preservation of collections of records in order to ensure

access over an indefinite period of time. Access relates to both “form” (integrity of the information

Main

carrier) and “content” (understandability through providing coherence and context).

Keeping in mind the timescales of RWM, initiatives with an international scope and organisation add to

strengths/benefits

diversity and redundancy, since national borders and actors may change. The international level adds to

the spread of information related to radioactive waste. International initiatives can form a centre that

points to national/regional/local archives.

International archiving initiatives are more challenging to set up than national/ regional/local archives. If

developed as a co-operation project between several countries, their success will depend on the

willingness to find a shared vision and modus operandi, and their longevity on the future development

of international relations.

The effectiveness of financial support depends on the willingness or the capacity of individual states to

Specific

provide specific funds to the international organisation. Therefore, solid support – of the need for RK&M

preservation in general and of the international archive in particular – from the organisations of the

issues/challenges

participating states seems to be a pre-requisite for reasonable longevity of an international archive.

Relationships with national and regional archives must also be considered, as there may be legal

requirements to deliver certain records to these bodies.

For digital international archives, issues regarding technological compliance and maintenance, as well as

the management of access rights, must be considered. For physical archives, accessibility may be

challenging in light of the physical distance, especially for individual actors.

International

The international nature is inherent to this mechanism.

dimension

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