International Nuclear Liability Regimes and their Prospective Implementation in Uzbekistan’s Legal System

Abstract

This article examines how international nuclear civil liability regimes can be effectively implemented in Uzbekistan’s legal system as the country moves towards commercial nuclear power. It first maps the fragmented treaty architecture built around the Paris–Brussels and Vienna/CSC regimes and distils their core principles of strict and exclusive operator liability, mandatory financial security and concentrated jurisdiction. Using doctrinal and comparative methods, the study benchmarks Uzbekistan’s existing atomic energy legislation and planned reforms against the practice of selected Vienna-Convention and newcomer states. The analysis shows that accession to the Vienna Convention marks a turning point, but that detailed domestic legislation on liability limits, insurance schemes and state guarantees remains under development. The article concludes with policy options for designing a coherent, victim-oriented liability framework and outlines implications for regional cooperation and future research.