for
Tuesday, 22 September

* Extended session until 7.30 p.m.

FORECAST
for
Wednesday, 23 September

Under item 1 of the provisional agenda, "Election of officers and appointment of the General Committee", Ambassador Roberta Lajous Vargas, delegate of Mexico, was elected as President of the General Conference at its forty-second regular session by acclamation.

On a proposal of the President, the Conference elected Ambassador Lance Joseph of Australia as Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole.

Also on a proposal of the President, the Conference elected the delegates of Bangladesh, Cuba, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, South Africa and the United States of America as Vice-Presidents of the Conference and the delegates of Croatia, Ireland, Kuwait, Morocco, Slovenia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as additional members of the General Committee.

Under item 2 of the provisional agenda, the General Conference approved - by acclamation - Benin for membership of the Agency.

Under item 3 of the provisional agenda, Mr. Bertrand Juppin de Fondaumiere, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, delivered a message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Under item 4 of the provisional agenda, a statement was made by Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the Agency.

Under item 6 of the provisional agenda, the President made a statement regarding pledges of contributions to the Technical Co-operation Fund for 1999.

The Conference took up item 7 of the provisional agenda, "General debate and annual report for 1997". Statements were made by the delegates of Austria, Japan, the United States of America and the Republic of Korea.

The Conference continued with item 7 of the provisional agenda. Statements were made by the delegates of Ukraine, Italy, Cuba, Australia, Morocco, China, South Africa and Argentina.

The Committee discussed arrangements for the Conference (item 5 of the provisional agenda).

The following informal meetings have been scheduled for today (Tuesday):

Group	Time	Location
EU	8.45 a.m.	Meeting Room N
WEOG	9.30 a.m	Meeting Room N
SEAP	2.00 p.m.	03 C-252

GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Conference is meeting in the Austria Center Vienna (ACV), Am Hubertusdamm 6, 1220 Vienna, which is located next to the Vienna International Centre (VIC). Entry to the ACV is from the Hubertusdamm. The telephone number is 212 44 00.

The starting times of each meeting will be announced in the Journal. Delegates are requested to be in their places by those times to allow meetings to start punctually. Evening meetings will be announced during the session if they become necessary.

General information about the Conference, such as the location of meeting rooms and offices, telephone extensions and the various services, may be obtained at the Information Desk (second floor, No. 11 on the attached floor plan, extension 2141).

Delegates who have not yet submitted their credentials to the Director General are requested to do so immediately at the Credentials Office (second floor, No. 5, extension 2092).

In the interest of security, conference participants are requested to wear their badges when entering the ACV and for as long as they are in the building. Members of delegations and other participants who are in possession of a valid VIC ground pass will not need additional identification. All other participants are requested to obtain their identification badges from the Registration Desk on the ground floor, No. 1, at the ACV. Badges will be issued from 8.30 a.m. onward.

The first official list of members of delegations was issued on Sunday, 20 September; it contains information on the composition of delegations which had been communicated to the Secretariat before Friday, 18 September. If, during the session, changes are required in the particulars provided at the time of registration, delegates are requested to inform the Protocol Office (second floor, No. 5, extension 2090), in writing, so that the list of delegation members may be brought up to date.

At plenary meetings the President calls upon speakers to each item in the order in which they have entered their names on a written list. Delegates wishing to speak to an item are requested to inform Mr. A. Donà, on the second floor, No. 7, extension 2133, who also has a table in the Plenary Hall near the podium. Delegates of ministerial rank will be given preference.

Microphones have been placed on all tables. Delegates are requested to use them for voting by roll call, for explanation of vote, for interventions in the exercise of the right of reply and for procedural motions. At other times, and especially during the general debate, delegates are requested to deliver their statements from the rostrum. Delegates about to make their statement are asked to come forward to the front when the preceding speaker is making his concluding remarks and wait at the table marked ‘next speaker’.

To facilitate interpretation, it would be greatly appreciated if, as in the past, the texts of statements to be delivered during the general debate were handed to the Conference Officer in advance. In order to enable the Conference to make the best possible use of the time available, delegates are urged to keep the duration of their oral presentations down to a maximum of 15 minutes.

Copies of the full texts (in the original language) will, if delegates so request, be made available to other delegates during the session.

To facilitate the preparation of records of proceedings, it would be appreciated if delegates intending to provide the Secretariat with texts of statements would have them typed double-spaced (like this paragraph).

Delegates are advised that General Conference documentation is available electronically and they are urged to make full use of this service so as to reduce the costs to the Agency of printing and distributing hard copies of documents. The address is http:/www.iaea.or.at/GC/gc42/documents/. Documents in hard copy will continue to be available at the Documents Station (second floor, No. 8).

Delegates wishing to submit draft resolutions or other documents to the Conference during the session are requested to provide the Conference Secretary, or the most appropriate Committee Secretary, with the text as early as possible.

A limited amount of typing can be arranged for delegations by Documents Services (second floor, No. 8).

In meeting rooms A, B, C, M, N and O of the ACV, portable radio receivers will be available, enabling participants to follow the proceedings in the original language and in the working languages of the Conference. As these receivers must be serviced between meetings, participants are requested not to remove them from the meeting rooms.

Participants are requested not to smoke in the meeting rooms.

To enable up-to-date information to be provided to the General Conference regarding contributions to the Technical Co-operation Fund for 1999, the Contributions Officer, Ms. C. Langer, will be available to receive pledges in her office (second floor, No. 13, extension 2112) or, immediately before and during plenary meetings, at a desk in the Plenary Hall near the podium.

There will be a scientific forum, on the theme "Nuclear Technology in Relation to Water Resources and the Aquatic Environment", taking place from Tuesday, 22 September to Thursday, 24 September in Meeting Room C at the ACV. The programme is as follows:

A detailed programme is available from the Documents Station.

MEETING OF SENIOR REGULATORS

The traditional meeting of senior regulators will take place on Wednesday, 23 September in the afternoon and all day Thursday, 24 September, in Meeting Room II, on the 7^th floor of Building C at the VIC.

Meetings of groups and representatives of Regional Co-operative Agreements (AFRA, ARCAL, RCA) and Regional TC Programmes (Europe) have been arranged as follows:

The following meetings have been scheduled:

(i) Briefing on Nuclear Liability:

A briefing meeting on liability for nuclear damage will be held to familiarise delegates with the newly adopted instruments on liability, the Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability and the Convention on Supplementary Compensation. The meeting will take place today at 3.00 p.m. in Meeting Room L/M on the 1^st floor at the ACV. A copy of the programme is attached.

(ii) Round table discussion:

An open-ended round table discussion on the challenges of and prospects for nuclear power in the different regions of the world will take place on Wednesday, 23 September at 3.00 p.m. in Meeting Room L/M on the 1^st floor at the ACV. Senior nuclear executives responsible for the development of nuclear power will be invited to present their views on long-term strategies for the development of nuclear power and waste management and the future role of nuclear power in their respective countries.

(iii) Demonstration of new safeguards equipment and techniques:

A presentation will be given of the development and implementation of new safeguards equipment and techniques, in particular measurement equipment, remote monitoring and satellite imagery. This event will take place on Thursday, 24 September at 3.00 p.m. in Foyer C on the 2^nd floor at the ACV.

Armenia submitted its instrument of ratification of the Convention on Nuclear Safety to the Agency on Monday, 21 September 1998.

Incoming telephone calls for participants will be taken by the Information Desk. The number is 212 44 00 extension 2141 (through dialing). In addition, a facsimile line is available at the Information Desk for the receipt of incoming facsimile messages for participants. The number is 212 44 00 2145.

A Post Office is located on the ground floor, No. 3. For outgoing long-distance telephone calls and facsimiles, participants are asked to contact the Post Office.

Delegates are able to receive and send electronic mail during the Conference. The public address is: "GENCONF98@IAEA.ORG". Senders should specify the recipient’s name and country in the subject line in order to ensure that the message is allocated to the proper delegate. Messages sent to this e-mail address may be picked up by delegates at the Information Desk. This e-mail address may be used only to receive messages.

In addition to the general e-mail address, delegates may register during the Conference for a specific individual e-mail address valid for the duration of the General Conference. Computers are available so that delegates can send and receive e-mail messages using their individual e-mail address.

Restaurant facilities are available at the ACV for the duration of the session. Lunch is served in the restaurant on the first floor, No. 1, from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. at the same price as at the VIC. Snacks and beverages are available all day at the ACV Snack Bar, which is located on the second floor, No. 10.

The Creditanstalt is providing limited banking services on the second floor, next to the Information Desk, from 9.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and from 12.30 p.m. until 4.00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Banking services will also be available on Saturday if there is a meeting. In addition, full banking services are available at the VIC.

Emergency medical attention is obtainable in the Medical Service at the VIC from 8.30 a.m. until the close of the last meeting of the day (VIC building F, seventh floor, telephone number 88, extension 22222). For emergency assistance at other times, delegates may apply to the security guard at the VIC (telephone number 88, extension 99).

The delegation of the Republic of Korea has prepared the 2^nd Panel Exhibition on Technical Co-operation between the IAEA and the Republic of Korea. The theme this year is "Reactors for Common Utilization for a Futuristic Nuclear World. The exhibition is located in Foyer B on the 2^nd floor of the ACV and will be open during the whole period of the 42^nd General Conference.

The following exhibits and displays, all located in Foyer A on the 2^nd floor of the ACV, have been arranged by the Secretariat:

(i) Video film on radium conditioning:

A video film has been produced which provides general information on the problem of radium sources and describes the technical solutions. The film also highlights the Agency’s assistance in this area. The film will be shown between 2.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 23 September and on Friday, 25 September.

(ii) ITER exhibit:

There is an exhibit on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which includes an ITER model, samples of relevant equipment and photographic, video and other explanatory materials.

(iii) Personnel matters:

The Division of Personnel is presenting a Personnel Information Centre, to introduce the recruitment brochure A Professional Assignment for Peace and Development. In addition, IAEA staffing statistics are demonstrated on a multi-media display.

Information on the advancement of women in the UN and in the Agency, entitled "A commitment to action", is exhibited.

(iv) Information display (Internet Corner):

There is an "Internet Corner" in which the IAEA homepage WORLDATOM and the many databases and other applications development by the IAEA and accessible to Member States are demonstrated. In addition, the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) stand provides information about the INIS database.

Heads of delegations are advised that cards entitling them to make purchases at the VIC Commissary will be issued by the United Nations Security Pass Office, which is situated in Room COE13 in the Rotunda of the VIC, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the duration of the session. After receipt of the card, the bearer is requested to validate it at the Commissary Service Counter (VIC, Room F-151) from 12 noon to 6 p.m.

Security equipment has been installed at the ACV. All personnel attending the Conference are requested to co-operate with the security personnel.

Participants are advised that the emergency staircases in the ACV cannot be used for going from one floor to another. Although they can be entered on any floor, the only exits are at the -3 (i.e. lowest) level. They should therefore be used only in a real emergency.

Participants can enter the ACV via the VIC through connecting doors located on the ground floor of Building G of the VIC.

Parking space is reserved on parking decks 1 and 2 of the ACV. For official cars with chauffeurs, red stickers entitling the cars to be driven to the main entrance of the ACV will be issued. For other cars, General Conference or VIC ground passes will suffice as identification for free parking in this area.

It is possible to travel between the VIC and Vienna's city centre by underground train (U-Bahn). Tickets may be purchased at U-Bahn stations or in advance, in quantities of five or ten, at most Austrian tobacco shops (identified by the round AUSTRIA TABAK sign). Weekly tickets are also available.

SOCIAL CALENDAR

The organizers or sponsors of receptions and other events to be arranged during the Conference are invited to get in touch with the Protocol Office or with Ms. Tesar, the Editor of the Conference Journal (second floor, No. 16, extension 2120), if they wish to have such events publicized.

* By invitation only

** Advance registration only. Contact Mr. J. Barton, extension 22936 at the VIC, or by email
J.Barton@IAEA.ORG

THE PROTOCOL TO AMEND THE VIENNA CONVENTION ON CIVIL LIABILITY
FOR NUCLEAR DAMAGE

THE CONVENTION ON SUPPLEMENTARY COMPENSATION FOR NUCLEAR
DAMAGE

Tuesday, 22 September 1998

3.00 p.m., Meeting Room L/M, Austria Centre Vienna

Moderator: Mr. T.Melchior, Judge, Supreme Court, Denmark

Opening statement
Mr. L.D.Johnson, Director, Legal Division, IAEA

Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage
Ms. V. Lamm, Director, Institute for Legal and Administrative Services, Academy of Sciences, Hungary

Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage
Mr.J.B. McRae, Attorney - Adviser, Department of Energy, United States of America

Impact of the Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention and the Convention on Supplementary Compensation on the Nuclear Liability Regime of the Paris Convention and the Brussels Supplementary Convention.
Mr.P.Reyners, Head, Legal Affairs, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency