The 76 parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety will start a two-week meeting on Monday, 24 March 2014 in Vienna, to review their work under the Convention. The Sixth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety will be hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the Secretariat for the Convention. The Convention, which entered into force in 1996, is an incentive instrument that aims to commit participating States to maintain a high level of nuclear safety by setting international benchmarks. Parties' obligations under the Convention are similar to principles laid out in IAEA documents. Countries that are parties to the Convention have committed to report on the implementation of their obligations, with the reports being reviewed by participants in meetings held every three years. An extraordinary meeting was held in 2012 to review and discuss lessons learned from the March 2011 accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and to review the effectiveness of the provisions of the Convention. One session at this year's meeting is devoted to the accident. Proposals to strengthen the Convention will be also discussed. More information about the Convention, including links to national reports from parties that have chosen to make them public, is available here. Senior officials at the meeting will include: President: André-Claude Lacoste, Former Chairman of the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), France Vice-President: Sukho Lee, Korean Institute of Nuclear Safety, Republic of Korea Vice-President: Khoirul Huda, Badan Pengawas Tenaga Nuklir, Indonesia Press Opportunities Media have the following opportunities to cover the review meeting: Opening Plenary Session: Monday, 24 March, 10:00-12:30, Boardroom A, M-Building, Vienna International Centre (VIC), including remarks from President Lacoste and Denis Flory, IAEA Deputy Director General, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security News Briefing: Monday, 24 March, 12:30, Press Room, M-Building Session to finalize and approve Summary Report: Thursday, 3 April, 15:30-17:00, Boardroom A, M-Building News Conference: Friday, 4 April, 14:30 Press Room, M-Building 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. Others should contact Ms. Jayne Stinger for accreditation. Please email press@iaea.org or call [+43-1] 2600-21279 or [+43-1] 2600-21273.
