Lomé, June 10, 2026 — Togo’s National Assembly approved four bills on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, to strengthen nuclear safety and radiological risk management. The decision, taken during the third plenary sitting of the first ordinary session of the year, marks a key step in harmonising Togolese legislation with international standards.
Presided over by Assembly President Prof. Komi Selom Klassou, the session welcomed Robert Koffi Messan Eklo, Minister Delegate for Energy. Deputies validated in first reading the texts allowing Togo to join four international conventions: the Convention on Nuclear Safety (Vienna, 1994), the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and Radioactive Waste (1997), the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1986), and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (1986).
Thus, the underlying objective is to equip the state with a robust regulatory shield to oversee scientific activities, prevent contamination risks, and guarantee absolute compliance with safety protocols.
A stronger multilateral framework via four conventions
“Nuclear energy is an energy of the future, useful in several key sectors: electricity production, health, industrialization, agriculture, and livestock,” recalled Aklesso Atcholi, president of UNIR. “But it is essential to establish and maintain a high level of safety to protect people, property, and the environment.”
Indeed, although radiological technologies offer major development prospects — especially in medical treatment or agricultural optimization — their environmental implications require constant vigilance. Consequently, by ratifying these conventions, Togo not only improves its endogenous anticipation capacities but also ensures access to international mechanisms for mutual assistance and real-time information sharing in times of crisis.
“These bills reflect a coherent approach: we are not only choosing an energy of the future; we are choosing the highest safety standards that accompany it,” said Minister Eklo. “Ratifying these texts sends a strong signal to the international community: Togo is a modern, responsible, and rigorous state.”
Reconciling technological progress with safety imperatives
For the President of the National Assembly, Professor Komi Selom Klassou, this reform establishes a doctrine of collective responsibility in the face of cross-border crises.
“Instructed by the tragic history of Chernobyl, Togo is convinced that in the face of risks of such magnitude, no state can act alone,” he argued, placing these texts within an overall vision of protecting populations and peaceful diplomacy.
In accordance with Togo’s parliamentary system, these four bills will be transmitted to the Senate in the coming days for examination in identical terms. Once this step is completed and the laws are promulgated, Togo will complete its institutional transformation, inextricably linking its technological horizon with the requirement of public safety.
