This Safety Requirements publication establishes the requirements for the legal and governmental infrastructure in respect of a range of facilities and activities, including nuclear facilities, sources of ionizing radiation, management of radioactive waste and transport of radioactive material. It covers development of the legal framework for establishing a regulatory body and other actions to achieve effective regulatory control. The publication addresses all phases of the life cycle of facilities or the duration of activities, and any subsequent period of institutional control until there is no significant residual radiation hazard. For a facility, these phases usually include siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning (or close-out or closure). Other responsibilities are also covered, such as those for developing the necessary support for safety, involvement in securing third party liability and emergency preparedness. It accompanies Safety Series No. 115, International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources, and Safety Standards Series No.TS-R-1, Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material.