[ RadSafe ] International Conference: Chernobyl - Looking Back to Go Forwards

[Marcel Schouwenburg]

 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

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