Digital Declaration Site Map Submissions for Additional Protocol Article 2.a.(iii)

Abstract

States with additional protocols [1] to comprehensive safeguards agreements in force are required under Article 2.a.(iii) to submit to the IAEA a map for each site. As the current guidelines [2] do not specify a special format for the map submission, they are typically delivered in a variety of formats. Using modern geographic information systems (GIS) to assist with the site map creation and annual updates, a joint Member State Support Programme (MSSP) task on Digital Declaration Site Maps (DDSM) is investigating how the submission procedures could be improved in line with new Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and software developments at the IAEA. Specifically, this includes the Protocol Reporter 3 (PR3) and the Geospatial Exploitation System (GES) software. This paper provides an overview of some of the activities under the MSSP task, including the typical submission process beginning with the creation of an operator’s site map through the submission process cycle for the annual updates using Protocol Reporter or the Commission's Additional Protocol Editor (CAPE) software. To demonstrate how site maps are created by operators and how these new procedures might benefit operators, State or regional authorities (SRA) and the IAEA, this paper will document some of the common challenges in converting site maps from paper maps to digital GIS data formats. It will also address the preparation of site entries and declarations using the Protocol Reporter software for the submission to the IAEA