ASEANTOM for Stronger Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Southeast Asia
Addressing the need for stronger cooperation in Southeast Asia in the field of nuclear regulations, the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including the Philippines, embarked on the establishment of the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM).
ASEANTOM aims to strengthen nuclear safety, security, and safeguards by enhancing cooperation and complementing the work among the ASEAN countries with the existing mechanisms at the national, regional, and international levels.
The countries participating in the ASEANTOM are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
With the invaluable support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the effort to establish the ASEANTOM was spearheaded in 2011 by the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP), which currently serves as Thailand’s nuclear regulatory body.
Since its official founding in 2013, the ASEANTOM has already worked towards improving the coordination and capabilities of the ASEAN regulatory bodies. ASEANTOM member states have hosted several technical meetings, seminars and workshops in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Austria from 2013 to 2017.
Among the topics and issues addressed by ASEANTOM include nuclear forensics, radiation biodosimetry and metrology, environmental radiation monitoring, inter-agency networks, public communication, and nuclear emergency preparedness and response in general.
The Philippines will host the 4th Annual ASEANTOM Meeting and Technical Session on Nuclear Security on December 7 to 8, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Quezon City.
