The Third Workshop on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage was held on 19 May 2014 at the IAEA Headquarters. The Workshop introduced diplomats and experts from Member States to the international legal regime of civil liability for nuclear damage.
The first such workshop was held at the IAEA Headquarters in May 2012 as one of the many activities carried out by the Agency in implementing its Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. Based on the positive feedback from the Workshop's participants, the International Expert Group on Nuclear Liability (INLEX), at its 12th Regular Meeting, also held in May 2012, called upon the IAEA to organize similar workshops in the future. The Third Workshop on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage was held in response to that request.
An opening address was delivered by Peri L. Johnson, Legal Adviser and Director of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA). Ms. Johnson later also delivered a presentation on INLEX and its role in the implementation of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. Other presentations touched on the basic principles of nuclear liability and their continuing relevance, by S. McIntosh, Chairman of the INLEX, and on the international legal instruments on civil liability for nuclear damage adopted under IAEA auspices, by A. Gioia, Senior Legal Officer in the Nuclear and Treaty Law Section in OLA.
A Round Table on Topical Issues of Nuclear Liability also took place, covering inter alia the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (by B. McRae, INLEX member); civil liability for nuclear damage from coastal States' perspective (by J. Ludbrook, INLEX member); the role of insurance (by S. Reitsma, INLEX member); and the IAEA's legislative assistance programme (by W. Tonhauser, Head of the Nuclear and Treaty Law Section, OLA).
The Workshop was attended by 54 participants from 39 Member States and is planned to be repeated in 2015.