International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

A. Introduction

While the responsibility for developing, maintaining and strengthening nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response (EPR) arrangements lies at the national level, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has continuously been supporting the work of its Member States in EPR, in particular since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) in 1986. In 2005, the IAEA announced the establishment of the Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) to serve as a global focal point for preparedness and response to any nuclear and radiological incident and emergency independent of whether it arises from an accident, natural disaster, negligence, nuclear security event or any other cause. The IAEA carries out its work under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (Early Notification Convention) and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention).

The IAEA develops standards and guidelines, and works to define and promote common approaches so that response does not differ between countries as this would result in confusion and mistrust on the part of the public, interfere with recovery operations and possibly even lead to severe socio-economic and political consequences. In recent years there has been also a heightened awareness of the need to strengthen response to emergencies caused by nuclear security events as well as of the need to wisely plan for the recovery phase.

The experience gained in responding to nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies in the past underscored the importance of emergency preparedness in all activities involving nuclear and other radioactive material. For example, the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP emphasized again the need to strengthen EPR at the national as well as at the international level.

This conference is being organized by the IAEA in cooperation with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the European Commission (EC), the European Police Office (Europol), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), INTERPOL, the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD NEA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and to provide an opportunity to exchange information and share experiences in EPR, discuss challenges, and identify key priorities in further improving readiness for nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies.

B. Objectives

The conference will provide a forum for networking and exchange of information and experiences, and will promote effective preparedness as a key to efficient response. In particular, it will bring together officials responsible for EPR, experts in nuclear safety and nuclear security, emergency responders as well as relevant stakeholders in order to achieve the following:

• Present contemporary EPR solutions;
• Exchange information on national EPR arrangements and capabilities;
• Share experiences and good practices in EPR; and
• Discuss challenges and priorities in further strengthening readiness to respond to any nuclear or radiological incident or emergency.

It will also provide opportunities to refresh and update knowledge in specific areas of EPR, discuss challenges and priorities in EPR in round table discussions and to visit the IAEA’s IEC.

C. List of Topics

The following areas have been identified based on recent experience as being particularly relevant, and, while not exhaustively covering all aspects of EPR, they will form the backbone of this conference: emergency management, protection strategies, communications, public health and medical response, waste, international cooperation, education and training, and past experiences.

Papers are invited on the following topics falling into the above-mentioned areas:

• Emergency Management: ‘all hazards and threats approach’, decision making processes, information management systems and databases, nuclear security–safety interfaces and integration in emergency response, peer reviews of EPR, international emergency assistance, non-radiological consequences;

• Protection Strategies: assessment and prognosis in an emergency, emergency radiation monitoring, modelling systems, protective and other actions, criteria, planning areas and distances, protection of emergency workers and helpers, protection of food and agricultural products, termination of a radiation emergency, transition phase and recovery;

• Communications: notification and information exchange processes at national and international levels, public/media communication (in preparedness, during an emergency and in post-emergency phase);

• Public Health and Medical Response: medical triage, individual exposure assessment (including biodosimetry), diagnosis and treatment of radiation injuries, practical aspects of thyroid blocking, public health and ethical considerations of response, psychological impact management, medical surveillance of overexposed individuals and long term follow-up of exposed populations;

• Waste: management of contaminated waste (during an emergency, in recovery phase);

• International Cooperation: cooperation among States, inter-agency cooperation, framework for sharing of decisions, international harmonization;

• Education and Training: training strategies, programmes, exercises and simulation tools, e learning; and

• Past Experiences: past incidents and emergencies, lessons, impacts on EPR.

D. Structure

The conference will consist of plenary sessions with high-level invited speakers, technical sessions, poster sessions and a number of side events, including round table discussions, refresher workshops, and technical visits to the IAEA’s IEC, as well as displays, exhibits and demonstrations of instruments, publications, educational tools and assessment methods and tools. Details will be made available on the conference web page (see Section R).

E. Target Audience

The conference is targeted at governmental officials with responsibilities in EPR, experts in EPR as well as in nuclear security matters, representatives of response and operating organizations, emergency responders, public information officers and others involved in EPR for nuclear and radiological incidents and emergencies.

F. Submission of Papers and Presentations

Any participant wishing to present a paper or poster during this conference must submit a synopsis of not more than 1000 words in electronic format (no paper copies) directly to the IAEA. Instructions on how to prepare and upload the synopsis to the conference’s web browser-based file submission system (IAEA-INDICO) will be available on the conference web page (see Section R) as of 1 March 2015. The synopses must be submitted through this system between 1 March and 17 April 2015. No other form of submission will be accepted.

Authors must further submit the following two forms to their appropriate authority (see Section G) for official transmission to the IAEA. These forms must be received by the IAEA no later than 17 April 2015.

• Participation Form (Form A)
• Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B)

If applicable, the Grant Application Form (Form C) must be submitted along with Forms A and B.

Important

The electronically received papers will be considered by the International Conference Programme Committee (ICPC) only if these two forms have been received by the IAEA through the established official channels (see Section G).

Acceptance of Papers

Authors will be notified via email by 26 June 2015 as to whether, on the basis of the electronically received papers, their contributions have been accepted for oral or poster presentation.

Submission of Presentations

Presentations must be submitted through the IAEA-INDICO file submission system. Specifications for the layout and electronic format of the presentations and for the preparation of posters will be made available on the conference web page by June 2015. The IAEA-INDICO platform will be reopened for submission of presentations as of 21 September 2015. The deadline for submission of presentations is 16 October 2015.

G. Participation and Registration

All persons wishing to participate in the conference are requested to register online in advance through the conference web page (see Section R). In addition, they are required to send a completed Participation Form (Form A) and, if applicable, the Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B) and the Grant Application Form (Form C) to their appropriate authority (see Section H) for subsequent official transmission to the IAEA.

A participant will be accepted only if the Participation Form is transmitted through the Government of a State or by an organization invited to participate.

Participants whose official designations have been received by the IAEA will be sent further information on the conference at least three months before the opening. This information will also be made available on the conference web page (see Section R).

H. Channels of Communication

The Participation Form (Form A) and, as applicable, the Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B), and the Grant Application Form (Form C), should be sent to one of the official authorities for subsequent transmission to the IAEA. In most cases these are Ministries of Foreign Affairs or competent authorities identified under the Early Notification and Assistance Conventions. Participants from invited organizations can submit forms to their organizations for subsequent transmission to the IAEA.

I. Expenditures and Grants

No registration fee is charged to participants.

The IAEA is generally not in a position to bear the travel and other costs of participants in the conference. The IAEA has, however, limited funds at its disposal to help meet the cost of attendance of certain participants. Such assistance may be offered upon specific request to normally one participant per country provided that, in the IAEA’s view, the participant on whose behalf assistance is requested will make an important contribution to the conference.

If Governments wish to apply for a grant on behalf of one of their specialists, they should address specific requests to the IAEA to this effect. Governments should ensure that applications for grants are:

1. Submitted by 17 April 2015;
2. Accompanied by a duly completed and signed Grant Application Form (Form C); and
3. Accompanied by a completed Participation Form (Form A).

Applications that do not comply with the above conditions cannot be considered.

Approved grants will be issued in the form of a lump sum payment that usually covers only part of the cost of attendance.

J. Working Language

The working language of the conference will be English. All communications, papers, presentations and posters must be in English.

K. Venue and Accommodation

The conference will be held at the IAEA’s Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Participants must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Detailed information on accommodation and other relevant matters will be made available on the conference web page (see Section R) well in advance of the conference.

L. Distribution of Documents

The conference programme and the Book of Synopsis will be provided free of charge upon registration at the conference. The conference programme will also be available to download from the conference web page (see Section R).
Subject to availability and author consent, PDF files of the conference presentations and posters will be made available at the conference web page.

M. Visas

Designated participants who require a visa to enter Austria should submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of Austria at least four weeks before entry into Austria. Please note that Austria is a Schengen State and therefore persons who require a visa will have to apply for a Schengen visa. In States where Austria has no diplomatic mission, visas can be obtained from the consular authority of a Schengen Partner State representing Austria in the country in question.

N. Key Deadlines and Dates

Submission of Forms A, B, C: 17 April 2015
Submission of synopsis: 17 April 2015
Notification of acceptance of synopsis: 26 June 2015
Submission of presentations: 16 October 2015
Submission of posters: 16 October 2015

O. Conference Side Events

Exhibitions

Limited space will be available during the conference for displays, exhibits and demonstrations of instruments, publications, educational tools and assessment methods and tools. Interested parties should send an email to: EPR-Conference-2015.Contact-Point@iaea.org.

Technical Visits

A number of technical visits to the IAEA’s IEC will be arranged.

Refresher Workshops

The refresher workshops programme will provide participants with the opportunity to refresh and update their knowledge in specific areas of EPR.
Round Table Discussions

Round table discussions will be held to explore the current key issues in specific EPR areas through expert discussions and direct questions from the audience using emails and Twitter. This will help the IAEA Secretariat to identify challenges and priorities in these EPR areas.

P. International Conference Programme Committee

Aaltonen H. - Finland
Ahier B. - Canada
Castle L. - Australia
Emi-Reynolds G. - Ghana
Fook Kay Lee - Singapore
Homma T. - Japan
Hubbard L. - Sweden
Isnard O. - France
McClelland V. - USA
Ramerafe M. - South Africa
Salas J. - Chile
Valverde N. - Brazil
Blackburn C. M. - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Buglova E. - IAEA/IEC — Chair ICPC
Carr Z. - World Health Organization (WHO)
Jackson K. - European Commission (EC)
King A. - INTERPOL
Lazo E. - Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD NEA)
Nogueira Oliveira C. - IAEA Division of Nuclear Security

Q. Conference Secretariat

General contact details of the Conference Secretariat:

International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna International Centre
PO Box 100
1400 VIENNA
AUSTRIA
Tel.: + 43 1 2600-0
Fax: +43 1 2600-7
Email: Official.Mail@iaea.org

Scientific Secretary:

Ms Elena Buglova
Head, Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC)
Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
Tel.: + 43 1 2600 22738
Email: E.Buglova@iaea.org

Administration and organization:

Ms Julie Zellinger
Conference Services Section
Division of Conference and Document Services
Department of Management
CN-213
Tel.: +43 1 2600 21321
Email: J.Zellinger@iaea.org

Subsequent correspondence on scientific matters should be sent to the Scientific Secretary and correspondence on administrative matters to the IAEA Conference Services Section.

R. Conference Web Page

Please visit the following web page regularly for new information regarding this conference:

http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/45986/International-Conference-on-Global-Emergency-Preparedness-and-Response