[ RadSafe ] International Conference: Chernobyl - Looking Back to Go Forwards
Marcel Schouwenburg
M.Schouwenburg at TNW.TUDelft.NL
Wed Jul 27 03:42:36 CDT 2005
International Conference: Chernobyl - Looking Back to Go Forwards
Towards a United Nations Consensus on the Effects of the Accident and
the Future
6 - 7 September 2005
Vienna, Austria
Announcement
Hotel Reservation Form
Hotel List
Conference Information
Visa Information
Information on the city of Vienna
Vienna International Centre: General Information
Related Web Sites:
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/Chernobyl/index.shtml
http://www.iaea.org/programmes/nafa/dx/emergency/index.html
ANNOUNCEMENT
1. BACKGROUND
The Chernobyl disaster was the worst nuclear accident in history. The
explosion on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located
just 100 km from the city of Kiev in what was then the Soviet Union, led
to the substantial airborne release and subsequent ground deposition of
a radionuclide mixture that resulted in the long term radioactive
contamination of more than 200 000 square kilometres of European
territory, most within the borders of what is now Belarus, the Russian
Federation and Ukraine.
Massive radioactive contamination forced the evacuation of more than 100
000 people from the affected region during 1986, and the relocation,
after 1986, of another 200 000 from Belarus, the Russian Federation and
Ukraine. Some five million people continue to live in areas contaminated
by the accident and have to deal with its environmental, health, social
and economic consequences. The national governments of the three
affected countries, supported by international organizations, have
undertaken costly efforts to remedy contamination, provide medical
services and restore the region's social and economic well-being.
Although the accident occurred nearly two decades ago, controversy still
surrounds the impact of the nuclear disaster. Despite numerous studies
conducted in the contaminated areas in Belarus, the Russian Federation,
and the Ukraine, as well as across the rest of Europe, experts,
officials and international bodies continue to assess the precise
environmental, health, social, and economic consequences of the
Chernobyl accident. Forging consensus in this regard and providing
guidance on the impact of the accident for inhabitants of the affected
regions is of particular importance. For these reasons, there is an
acute need to reach broadly shared conclusions on the consequences of
the disaster and their repercussions for future environmental, social
and economic rehabilitation of the affected areas, as well for the
provision of health care and for further research and development.
With these objectives in mind, the IAEA, in cooperation with FAO, UNDP,
UNEP, UN-OCHA, UNSCEAR, WHO and The World Bank, as well as the competent
authorities of Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine,
established the Chernobyl Forum in 2003. The mission of the Forum is --
through a series of managerial, expert and public meetings -- to
generate "authoritative consensual statements" on the environmental
consequences and health effects attributable to radiation exposure
arising from the accident. The Forum was created as a contribution to
the United Nations' ten years strategy for Chernobyl, launched in 2002
with the publication of Human Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear
Accident - A Strategy for Recovery.
Since 2003, two expert groups -- "Environment", coordinated by the IAEA,
and "Health", coordinated by WHO -- have presented reports for the
Forum's consideration. In order to give wide publicity to the Forum's
findings and recommendations, and to inform governments, the
international scientific community and the general public, the Chernobyl
Forum is now organizing, through the IAEA, an International Conference
entitled "Chernobyl: Looking Back to Go Forwards", to be held in Vienna
on 6 and 7 September 2005. The Forum also aims to disseminate its
findings widely through UN organizations and the mass media.
2. OBJECTIVE
The objective of this conference is to inform governments and the
general public about the Forum's findings regarding the environmental
and health consequences of the Chernobyl accident, as well as its social
and economic consequences, and to present the Forum's recommendations on
further remediation, special health care, and research and development
programmes, with the overall aim of promoting an international consensus
on these issues.
3. SCOPE OF THE CONFERENCE
The following topics will be covered by the conference:
. The environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident and
remediation of areas contaminated with radionuclides;
. The health consequences of the accident and special health care needs;
. The social and economic consequences of the accident and development
programmes.
4. AUDIENCE
The conference is directed at a broad spectrum of experts and persons
from various professional disciplines, as well as decision makers from
the countries affected by the Chernobyl accident, non-governmental
organizations, and the mass media. Those attending the conference are
expected to include health physicists, environmental engineers,
radiation protection experts, officers having responsibilities for the
application of remediation standards and radiation protection
programmes, and senior policy makers at the ministerial level.
5. PROGRAMME
The conference programme will be based on the following approach:
. The opening will consist of the statements of members of the Chernobyl
Forum;
. The major findings of the Forum concerning environmental consequences
and remediation, as well as health consequences and health care, will be
presented and followed by a panel discussion;
. The social and economic consequences and development issues will be
presented in the context of the UN Strategy for Recovery;
. The conference will conclude with the Chairman's statement containing
the Forum's conclusions and recommendations;
. The conference will include a major press conference and a press
briefing with presentation of the Forum findings and recommendations.
6. EXPENDITURES/GRANTS
No registration fee is charged to participants.
As a general rule, the IAEA does not pay the cost of attendance, i.e.
travel and living expenses, of participants. However, limited funds are
available to help meet the cost of the attendance of selected
specialists, mainly from developing countries with low economic
resources. Generally, not more than one grant will be awarded to any one
country.
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:
(a) are submitted by 7 June 2005;
(b) are accompanied by a duly completed and signed Grant Application
Form (see attached Form C).
Applications that do not comply with the conditions stated under (a) and
(b) cannot be considered.
The grants awarded will be in the form of lump sums and will usually
cover only part of the cost of attendance.
7. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
The Participation Form (Form A), and if applicable, the Grant
Application Form (Form C) must be sent through one of the competent
official authorities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs or national atomic
energy authority) for subsequent transmission to the IAEA. Subsequent
communications concerning technical matters should be sent to the
Scientific Secretary and communications on administrative/logistical
matters to the Conference Secretariat (see Section 12).
8. DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS
A preliminary programme of the conference will be sent to all officially
designated participants well in advance of the meeting and will also be
available on the IAEA conference web site (see Section 13). The final
programme will be available upon registration at the conference. The
Report of the United Nations Chernobyl Forum will also be available upon
registration.
9. WORKING LANGUAGE
The working language of the meeting will be English. During the
conference simultaneous interpretation into and from Russian will be
provided.
10. ACCOMMODATION
Detailed information on accommodation and other administrative details
will be sent to all officially designated participants approximately two
to three months before the meeting. It will also be available on the
IAEA conference web site.
11. VISAS
Participants who require a visa to enter Austria (the 'Schengen visa'),
are requested to submit the necessary applications to the nearest
diplomatic or consular representative of Austria as early as possible
(please note that this procedure may take up to three weeks).
Scientific issues - Scientific Secretariat (IAEA)
Mr. M. Balonov
Division of Radiation and Waste Safety
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+ 43 1) 2600 22854
Telefax No.: (+ 43 1) 2600 7
E-mail: M.Balonov at iaea.org
Scientific Secretary for Health Issues (WHO)
Mr. M. Repacholi
World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
CH-1211, Geneva 27
Switzerland
Telephone No.: +41 22 791 3427
Telefax No.: +41 22 791 4123
E-mail: repacholim at who.int
Scientific Secretary for Socio-Economic Issues (UNDP)
Ms. L. Vinton
United Nations Development Programme
One United Nations Plaza
NY 10017, New York
USA
Telephone No.: +1 212 9066525
Telefax No.: +1 212 906 6595
E-mail: louisa.vinton at undp.org
Administration and organization:
Ms. K. Morrison
Division of Conference and Document Services
Conference Service Section
IAEA-CN-141
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Telephone No.: (+ 43 1) 2600 21317
Telefax No.: (+ 43 1) 2600 7
E-mail: K.Morrison at iaea.org
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Marcel Schouwenburg - RadSafe moderator & List owner
Head Training Centre Delft
National Centre for Radiation Protection (Dutch abbr. NCSV)
Faculty of Applied Sciences / Reactor Institute Delft
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 15
NL - 2629 JB DELFT
The Netherlands
Phone +31 (0)15 27 86575
Fax +31 (0)15 27 81717
email m.schouwenburg at tnw.tudelft.nl
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