More than 400 government officials, communications professionals and emergency preparedness and response (EPR) experts from some 100 countries will gather at an IAEA symposium next week to discuss challenges in public communication during nuclear or radiological emergencies.
The International Symposium on Communicating Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies to the Public will take place from 1 to 5 October at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna. Held in cooperation with nine international organizations, the symposium will feature speakers and participants from government, international organizations, regulatory authorities, health services, the media and more.
A detailed programme and additional information can be found on the conference website.
Participants will discuss latest developments and share experiences and good practices in areas including EPR, stakeholder engagement, public communication channels and tools, social media, and psychology of communication. A session called “Am I safe?” will explore ways to communicate the impact on public health of radiation exposure during emergencies. A special panel featuring representatives from the media will provide input from journalists on crisis communication including good practices in the nuclear field and other sectors.
As part of the symposium, young people from around the world took part in the IAEA’s Young Innovative Communicators Competition. The five finalists will present their communication innovations that utilize widely available, sustainable, modern technology to enhance communication with the public in an emergency.
The event will take place in BR-A and BR/BM1, M Building, at the Vienna International Centre.
The symposium is open to media.
The IAEA will stream the event on the conference website from Monday, 1 October, 9:30 a.m.
Please note that the video stream will be broadcast on a view-only channel.
Some speakers will be available for interviews. Please contact the IAEA Press Office for more details.
Accreditation
All journalists are requested to inform the IAEA Press Office of their plans to attend. Journalists with permanent credentials to the VIC need no additional credentials. We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation, to request it at UNIS Vienna.
Others should contact the IAEA Press Office. Please email press@iaea.org or call [+43-1] 2600-21273.