Top nuclear officials from all the world´s nuclear power countries will convene in Vienna on 14 April to review the state of nuclear safety worldwide. The two-week talks will take place as part of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS), a major legally binding international instrument borne out of the Chernobyl accident. The Review Meetings aim to promote nuclear safety, safety culture, safety management and knowledge sharing among current and future nuclear power States. The IAEA expects over 500 delegates from 61 contracting parties to participate in this 4th Review Meeting under the CNS.
CNS Review Meetings take place every three years, and the bulk of the meetings are spent reviewing reports detailing operational and regulatory aspects of country´s civilian nuclear power plants. Most Member State reports to the CNS are made public and are available online, and a summary report of the talks is distributed at the conclusion of the Convention.
"We all know that any serious accident anywhere in the world can discontinue the future development of nuclear power," said Tomihiro Taniguchi, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. "Therefore, we must prevent such serious accidents in any case through international cooperation."
Additional Meetings on Nuclear Safety
The International Nuclear Safety Group (INSAG), an advisory body comprised of seventeen world renowned nuclear experts from industry, academia and regulatory organizations, will meet for three days starting 9 April. INSAG´s aim is to highlight current and emerging safety issues related to the operation of nuclear installations. It publishes documents on topical nuclear safety issues, provides assessments and recommendations to the IAEA, its Director General and its Member States, the international nuclear community, the media and public. In addition, the INSAG Chairman provides an assessment of the state of nuclear safety on an annual basis.
Also meeting is the Standing Advisory Group on Nuclear Energy (SAGNE), an internally-focused IAEA group that advises the Director General on nuclear power, fuel cycle and nuclear science issues. The SAGNE meeting, taking place from 9-11 April will focus on ways in which the IAEA can assist nuclear infrastructure development in ´new start countries,´ or nuclear countries in planning stages. The advisory group will also be installing a new chairman during the meeting.