Author(s)

Serge Ngabu Kilo^1,2, Parfaite Hanyie Nyazungu³

¹School of Law/Field of International Law, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China.
²Centre of Excellence for mitigation of Risks Related to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Materials (COE/CBRN-D.R. Congo), Kinshasa, D.R. Congo.
³School of Law/Field Social and Economic Law, Université de Bunia, Bunia, D.R. Congo.

We conducted this research on the prevention and management of risks related to radiological and nuclear materials within the framework of international nuclear law, using the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a case study. This was based on the observation that in the DRC, the protection of the Congolese population and the environment against the effects of ionizing radiation is marked by certain shortcomings, despite the mechanisms put in place. From the outset of our research, we assumed that this situation is due to the non-compliance of national legal texts with international nuclear safety and security requirements. Precautions must therefore be taken. Dangers in the use of nuclear energy can result from the mishandling of nuclear and radiological materials, illicit trafficking and their use for criminal purposes. To this end, international nuclear law attaches particular importance to the protection of people and the environment against the dangers of nuclear and radiological materials. This justifies the diversity of the norms and the search for consistency in their revision, the objective being to ensure the best possible protection of the population and the environment. The DRC can greatly benefit from these international standards to strengthen its statutory and institutional framework for the protection of the population and the environment against the dangers of ionizing radiation. Thus, our study examines and questions the Congolese legal system, to find its weaknesses and propose the amendments best suited to the requirements of international law, in view of the contemporary issues at stake in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the world. The importance of this study lies not only in understanding the international mechanisms for the protection of the population and the environment against the risks of radiation, but also in the need and urgency to guarantee better protection of the population and the environment through better regulation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Risks Prevention and Management, Nuclear and Radiological Materials, Nuclear Security and Nuclear Safety, Democratic Republic of Congo

Kilo, S. and Nyazungu, P. (2021) Prevention and Management of Risks Related to Radiological and Nuclear Materials under International Nuclear Law: Case Study of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9, 380-412. doi: 10.4236/jss.2021.94029.