«The state regulatory authority for radiation safety is the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Safety and Security Agency of the National academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, hereinafter referred to as the regulatory authority, which governs the unified state policy…»

On 1 November 2001, Tajikistan became a member of the IAEA, and there was a need to establish a structure to regulate the field of radiation safety.

On the basis of the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 3594 (16.1-2) dated September 18, 2002 it was established, first within the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan (NRSA ASRT) as a structural subdivision of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan (Resolution of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 112 of 25 December 2002).

In 2003, in accordance with Article 6 of the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan on Radiation Safety, the Government of Tajikistan designated the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency under the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan as the regulatory body of the country, which carries out a unified state policy and coordinates the work of other authorized bodies.

According to Decision No. 117 of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan from 5 November 2021, the name of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan was changed to the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Safety and Security Agency of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan (hereinafter the Agency).

In its activities, the Agency observes the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan, the laws of the Republic of Tajikistan "On Radiation Safety", "On the Use of Atomic Energy", "On the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan", "On the Management of Radioactive Waste", "On Biosafety and Biosecurity", the decrees of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, resolutions of Majlisi Oli, decrees and instructions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Decrees of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan "On the Procedure of State Regulation in the Field of Nuclear and Radiation Safety", Regulations on Licensing of Certain Types of Activities, Regulations on the Interagency Council on Radiation Safety, Charter of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Charter of the Agency and other acts and documents regulating the activities of the Agency.

According to the Regulation of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan "On the Procedure of State Regulation in the Field of Nuclear and Radiation Safety", the Agency submits an annual report to the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On the basis of Government Decrees No. 133 and No. 134 of 29 March 2019, the Agency carried out national coordination on implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction and on Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, the National Coordinator for ensuring chemical and biological security was identified.

The Agency provides services related to radionuclide analysis of water, soil, air, food, building and other materials, workplace dosimetry, quality control of X-ray equipment, personal dosimetry of workers, testing and calibration of dosimetry instruments in the Technical Support Service research department, training in radiation safety, nuclear forensic examination of materials, etc.

In order to carry out its functions, the Agency, together with relevant ministries, agencies and institutions, takes necessary measures to comply with chemical, biological, radiobiological and nuclear safety standards, as required by law and other international legal documents.

The Agency establishes requirements for the application of radiation protection principles, for all exposure situations:
•    in situations of planned exposure, each party responsible for ensuring protection and safety, when that party is subject to the relevant requirements, takes no practical action that is not justified;
•    in emergency exposure situations and existing exposure situations, each party with responsibility for protection and safety shall, where the relevant requirements apply to that party, ensure that protective actions or remedial actions are justified and implemented in a manner that achieves the objectives set out in the protection strategy;
•    in all exposure situations, each party with responsibility for protection and safety shall, where the relevant requirements apply to that party, ensure that protection and safety is optimized;
•    in situations of planned exposure other than medical exposure, each party responsible for ensuring protection and safety shall, where appropriate requirements apply to that party, ensure that the specified dose limits are not exceeded.

The Agency establishes a regulatory system to ensure protection and safety, which includes:
•    carrying out the licensing process;
•    reviewing and assessing facilities and activities;
•    verification of the activities of users of nuclear material and ionizing radiation sources;
•    implementing enforcement action against users of nuclear material and ionizing radiation sources;
•    drafting of normative legal acts;
•    providing information and advice to interested persons and the public.

The Agency shall ensure that measures are taken to maintain, store and retrieve appropriate documentation relating to installations and activities. This documentation includes:
•    a state register of accounting and control of nuclear materials and ionising radiation sources;
•    a register of vocational training for workers who work with ionizing radiation sources;
•    knowledge management in the field of nuclear and radiological safety;
•    a register of reports of radiation accidents;
•    a state register of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel;
•    a state cadastre of radioactive waste storage facilities.