550 



B. Organizational Issues 



International organizations can have an important role in interpreting 

 the provisions of new proposals under existing multilateral arraingements 

 and providing a range of services associated with formulating and imple- 

 menting such proposals. The NEA, for example, has played an important 

 role in implementation of the Ocean Dumping Convention and the other regional 

 dumping conventions in assuring the parties that appropriate safeguards were 

 being taJcen during operations. The OECD Council has established a Multi- 

 lateral Consultation and Surveillance Mechanism for Sea Dumping of Radio- 

 active Waste under the auspices of the NEA which strengthens NEA's previous 

 role in overseeing dumping operations. Under this mechanism, regular pro- 

 cedures are established for prior notification and consultation, interna- 

 tional surveillance, and reports on dumping operations. NEA has also 



developed guidelines for the construction of sea dumping' packages for radioactive 



34 

 waste and has recommended operational procedures for dumping. 



International orgcinizations can, however, serve an important role in 

 defining the regime applicable to new proposals such as sub-seaibed disposal. 

 We have seen how the work of the IAEA and its consultant groups has already 

 played a role in interpretation of the application of the Ocean Dumping Con- 

 vention to sub-seabed disposal. While IAEA is not authorized to interpret 

 the operative terms of the Convention, its recommendations about interpre- 

 tation of the Annexes (including defining the scope of HLW as an Annex I 

 substance which is prohibited for disposal at sea and making recommendations 

 on the dumping of LLW) could be important in determining how to proceed 

 in constructing an institutional framework for sub-seabed disposal. The 

 recent amendment of the Annexes of the Ocean Dumping Convention to include 



