Matilda Alormatu Osei-Agyemang, Ghana’s Ambassador to Vienna Austria joined delegates last month at conference in Vienna to consider and adopt, by consensus, proposed amendments to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC).
The CSC is a vital pillar of the international nuclear liability regime. It provides legal certainty, reinforces confidence in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and ensures the availability of prompt and adequate compensation in the event of nuclear damage. Yet, despite these clear benefits, African participation remains low, with only three States from the continent currently party to the Convention. (Ghana, Benin and Morocco).
This limited participation is due to concerns about the financial obligations imposed on Contracting Parties, particularly on States that do not operate nuclear reactors. For many developing countries, this has acted as a real and practical barrier to accession. The amendments which were adopted therefore directly address this concern.
By aligning financial obligations more closely with actual nuclear risk, the amendments have now introduced a fairer and more proportionate allocation of responsibility between States with nuclear installations and those without. In doing so, they remove a major disincentive to participation while preserving the fundamental purpose and strength of the CSC.
For African States, this moment is especially significant. Many countries on the continent are actively considering nuclear energy as part of their long-term strategies for climate action, energy diversification and sustainable development. Access to the CSC under the amended framework allows States to prepare for that future without imposing immediate financial burdens today.
By signing on behalf of Ghana, ”I am of the conviction that the amendments represent a decisive opportunity to strengthen the CSC by making it more equitable, more inclusive, and more responsive to the realities of developing States”, Ambassador Alormatu Osei-Agyemang intimated.
