To facilitate and coordinate inter-agency cooperation in case of an emergency, the IAEA, together with other relevant international intergovernmental organizations, established the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies (IACRNE).
Coordination of inter-agency response
The IACRNE was established in September 1986 in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. Members of IACRNE develop, maintain and co-sponsor the Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations — the Joint Plan. The Joint Plan describes a common understanding of how each organization acts during a response and in making preparedness arrangements. The IAEA provides the secretariat for the IACRNE and coordinates the development and maintenance of the Joint Plan.
The Committee has two working groups: the Working Group on Coordinated International Exercises and the ad-hoc Working Group on Air and Maritime Transportation.
The Working Group on Coordinated International Exercises coordinates plans for each organization’s exercises, reviews and coordinates preparation and evaluation of the ConvEx-3 exercise, and coordinates sharing of exercise evaluation, exercise findings and lessons identified.
The ad-hoc Working Group on Air and Maritime Transportation facilitates the coordinated and consistent preparedness and response among the relevant international organizations and international trade associations in the event of a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency that is having or that is perceived to have an impact on international air or maritime navigation.