Our Mission

The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) unites every company and country in the world that has an operating commercial nuclear power plant to achieve the highest possible standards of nuclear safety.

WANO MISSION: To maximise the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide by working together to assess, benchmark and improve performance through mutual support, exchange of information, and emulation of best practices.

WANO VISION: WANO and its members will be worldwide leaders in pursuing excellence in operational nuclear safety for commercial nuclear power.

The organisation exists purely to help its members accomplish the highest levels of operational safety and reliability. This is achieved through a series of highly-regarded programmes, such as peer reviews, and access to technical support and a global library of operating experience. With an office in London, and regional centres in Moscow, Atlanta, Tokyo and Paris, WANO cuts across political barriers and interests.

WANO is a non-profit organisation and does not advocate for, or on behalf of, the nuclear industry.

While WANO works directly with its members, the organisation is not a regulatory body and does not advise companies on issues such as initial reactor design selection.

With safety as the only goal, WANO helps operators communicate effectively and share information openly. Experience shows many accidents could have been prevented if lessons had been learned from previous incidents. Ultimately, this will raise the performance of all operators to that of the best.

WANO Principles

WANO’s overriding priority is the assurance of nuclear safety and excellence in operational performance.
Membership in WANO is voluntary and carries with it special commitments and obligations. It is in the best interest of each member, and of the industry, that all nuclear power operators worldwide are WANO members.
The principal owners of WANO are the chief executives of the member organisations and they are responsible for contributing to the success of WANO programmes. WANO is an effective means for members to improve the operational excellence of their own stations and support nuclear safety among all members.
At the core of WANO membership is the commitment by each member to strive for the highest standards of safety and reliability. This is achieved through the members’ mutual adherence to the fundamental values of leadership, integrity, transparency, trust, relationships and accountability on an individual and a worldwide level.
Since performance of each member will affect all others, WANO members commit to one another to take timely action to correct significant performance issues and provide the necessary resources to support the WANO mission.
WANO is an organisation with a single mission applying global strategies and policies. It is organised regionally to allow effective implementation of WANO programmes and the requirements of regional diversity.
WANO membership is at a worldwide level. Upon joining, each member is required to affiliate with at least one regional centre.
The standards for WANO programmes and activities, including fair principles for resources and fees, are established at the global level.
The WANO organisational structure ensures well-defined roles and responsibilities and clear lines of accountability. Centralised activities provide oversight and support to ensure the standards are met in each of the regions.
WANO is accountable only to the members and is independent of undue influence from any single member. WANO is independent of governmental or regulatory influence, but coordinates its work closely with other organisations that promote the safety of nuclear power plants.
To ensure effective communication throughout WANO, a common working language is essential. The chosen working language of WANO is English.
To permit free and open exchange of information among the members, plant-specific information is controlled under the WANO confidentiality policy.

Compass - WANO's Long-Term Plan

Compass is WANO’s long-term plan covering the period 2018 to 2022, and consisting of four focus areas:

Continue to support and set the standards of high performance of the world's existing nuclear fleet.
Build and maintain a highly trained professional workforce in WANO and improve the effectiveness of the governance arrangements.
Forge a more effective WANO through more consistent, credible products and programmes, including providing nuclear leadership development.
Instil superior standards among new units and new industry entrants.

Every initiative or project undertaken by any WANO office or regional centre supports at least one of the four focus areas.

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