INIS-XA-157

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1998, VOLUME 13, NUMBER 1 (78) XA9949974 DIRECTOR GENERAL ELBARADEI INITIATES REVIEWS IAEA BOARD MEETS IN MARCH IAEA Director General Mohamed the meeting is being consolidat- The 35-member IAEA Board ElBaradei - who assumed office ed in an action plan for enhanc- of Governors— under the 1 December 1997 - has initiated ing the Secretariat's ability to chairmanship of Japan's reviews of the Agency's organi- meet the needs of its Member Ambassador Yuji I keda — zation and activities. States.The plan covers improved meets for the first time in Among the steps was an IAEA organizational procedures; bet- 1998 at sessions beginning Senior Management Conference ter internal communications and Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei 16 March in Vienna. held in late January to develop information support systems; IAEA Director General Included on the Board's internal recommendations for streamlined administrative provisional agenda are improvements in a number of processes; and staff manage- items related to nuclear, functional areas of the ment issues. An evening session radiation, and waste safety, Secretariat. Chaired by Dr. was devoted to strengthening the implementation of ElBaradei and attended by public information efforts. safeguards, and funding of Deputy Directors General, The meeting was designed to the technical cooperation Division Directors, and Special help lay the internal groundwork programme. Assistants to the Director for a major review of Agency pro- At the opening session, General, the meeting provided grammes and activities to be con- IAEA Director General an opportunity to review pro- ducted by a Senior Expert Group Mohamed ElBaradei is gramme development and coor- of representatives from the IAEA's scheduled to brief the Board dination; the delivery of Agency Member States being convened on the work of the Agency. programmes; management by Dr. ElBaradei. The first meeting Also being submitted for the structures and systems; and staff of the Group is expected to take Board's information is a management. The outcome of place in late March. status report on the IAEA's implementation of nuclear NUCLEAR ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE safeguards in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea A recent booklet from the IAEA sustainable energy future less (DPRK);and a report on the examines the role of nuclear dependent on fossil sources. IAEA Technical Team's visit to energy as an option for the Nuclear power, with its low envi- Iraq in December 1997 in world's sustainable energy ronmental impact and huge ura- regard to nuclear inspections future. The booklet - Sustainable nium reserves for fuel, can that the Agency is carrying Development and Nuclear Power contribute substantially to meet- out under mandate of the - was initially distributed at the ing the sustainable energy chal- United Nations Security Conference of Parties to the lenge. Nuclear power ...already Council. (See related item, United Nations Framework on supplies 17% of the world's elec- page 3.) Climate Change, which was held tricity and avoids the emission of Other documents before in Kyoto, Japan, in December more than 600 million tonnes of the IAEA Board include 1997. IAEA representatives at the carbon (or 2300 million tonnes of background reports relative Conference also issued a state- carbon dioxide annually). to aspects of technical ment that underscored the role It is an open question whether cooperation funding; the of nuclear energy. Excerpts follow: nuclear power can do more than IAEA's Nuclear Safety Review "With projections of sharply ris- maintain its present annual for 1998; and an overview of ing energy use and continuing avoidance of 8% of global car- Agency actions related to the global dependence on fossil bon dioxide emissions by 2010. nuclear desalination of sources, environmental pollution But the fact remains it is the only seawater and the associated and greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- readily and commercially avail- development of small- and sions could cause severe dam- able "no carbon" electricity gen- medium-sized reactors. age. The global challenge is to develop strategies that foster a continued on page 2

30- 19 Nuclear Energy and Climate Change (continued from page 1) STATES HONOUR DR.HANSBL1X eration option other than high-level wastes are being stored hydro power... It cannot, there- above or below ground,awaiting fore, be ignored. Meeting an policy decisions on their long- emission target for the year 2010 term disposal. Once nuclear must clearly be part of a contin- wastes are placed in a long-term uing process. In this context, an repository, nuclear will offer ben- accelerated introduction of efits from the relatively small vol- nuclear power, where feasible, umes of such wastes compared could allow significant GHG- to those of coal, which are dis- Before his retirement from emission reductions for the years persed in the atmosphere or on the IAEA in December 1997, and decades after 2020. the earth's surface. Dr. Hans Blix received a While nuclear power is wit- There is public concern that number of high honours in nessing a rapid expansion in Asia the use of nuclear power might recognition of his leadership for economic, energy indepen- foster the further spread of over the last sixteen years as dence, and environmental rea- nuclear weapons or the acquisi- the Agency's Director General sons, its expansion has been tion of weapon-usable material and of his contribution to hampered...in other parts of the by sub-national groups. international cooperation world. Operating safety,final dis- However, it is worth recalling that throughout his career. The posal of high-level radioactive nuclear weapons development distinctions included: waste and possible weapons consistently preceded, and did • by the IAEA General proliferation of fissile materials not follow from, the introduction Conference, the title of are often seen as 'unresolved of nuclear power reactors. Director General Emeritus of issues'. These issues, regardless Moreover, in order to ensure that the IAEA; of whether they are perceived or nuclear energy is used exclu- • by the Government of real, need to be addressed. sively for peaceful purposes, Austria, the Grand Decoration New reactors are equipped more than 180 States have of Honour in Gold with Sash; with a pre-stressed concrete con- accepted to subject their nuclear • by the Government of tainment that would prevent the activities to IAEA safeguards. In Hungary, the Middle Cross of release of fission products even the aftermath of the Gulf War, the the Order of Merit of the in the highly unlikely event of a IAEA safeguards system has been Republic; severe accident. The industry is strengthened with a view to cov- • by the Government of continuously striving to develop ering both declared and unde- Japan, the Grand Cordon of advanced reactor designs that clared activities.The production the Order of the Sacred make safety less dependent on of viable weapons from spent Treasure; technology components and fuel would require large-scale, • by the Principality of human performance, but rather technology-intensive efforts as Monaco, the rank of Officer of based on natural laws of physics. well as the weaponization capa- the Order of St. Charles; and In addition, during the , a bility which, while within the • by the Uranium Institute, global safety culture has evolved potential reach of a handful of the international association around binding international governments, are virtually in London, the Institute's Gold agreements, codes of practice, impossible for terrorists. Medal. agreed standards, international In conclusion...GHG mitigation Accepting the honours, Dr. peer reviews, and advisory ser- by way of nuclear power may be Blix said it had been a vices. Meanwhile, the safety of achievable, at zero or minimum privilege to serve the older generation reactors is cost, a finding also reported in international community over being steadily upgraded. the Intergovernmental Panel on the years both on behalf of The final disposal of high-lev- Climate Change (IPCC) Second his own country, Sweden,and el radioactive waste is technical- Assessment Report. To that at the helm of the IAEA. He ly feasible but still needs to be extent, nuclear power represents also expressed his gratitude demonstrated convincingly to an ideal "least-regret" cost strat- for the support he had the public. That this has not egy to help combat climate received throughout his been done is largely attributable change." tenure from IAEA Member to public skepticism or opposition —The full text is on the IAEA's States and the staff of the and lack of the necessary political WorldAtom Internet services at Secretariat. support. Therefore, presently, h ttp://www. iaea.org

January/February 1998, Vol. 13, No. 1 (78) RADIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS ON BIKINI ATOLL REASSESSED

An International Advisory Group the Marshall Islands before the taken, the Group recommended convened by the IAEA at the start of US nuclear testing at monitoring of foodstuffs to request of the Marshall Islands Bikini Atoll in the mid-1940s. The ensure the strategy's effective- Government has assessed ques- measurement and assessment ness. In reaching their conclu- tions raised by residents who studies done over the past sions, the experts studied data had been evacuated from the decades had not convinced the from a number of independent former nuclear test site at Bikini former Bikini residents that they radiological assessments that Atoll. The Advisory Group, which could safety return to the Atoll had been done over the past was set up in December 1995, to live. A previous return to the decades. They also reviewed included experts from seven Atoll by the Bikinians had to be results of radiation monitoring countries (Australia, France, New abandoned because of high lev- undertaken in 1997 by an IAEA Zealand, Japan, Russia, United els of radionuclides in food. team in cooperation with per- Kingdom, and United States),the In a report being published by sonnel from the Marshall Islands; IAEA, World Health Organization the IAEA, the Advisory Group environmental samples taken (WHO), and the United Nations found that technically and finan- during the monitoring mission Scientific Committee on the cially feasible measures could be were analyzed at the IAEA's Effects of Atomic Radiation taken to allow the Bikini people's Seibersdorf Laboratories.—More (UNSCEAR). rehabitation in line with interna- information may be obtained The Bikini people were relo- tional radiological protection from the IAEA Department of cated to another island within principles. If the measures were Nuclear Safety.

RADIOLOGICAL STUDY OF MURUROA AND NUCLEAR INSPECTIONS FANGATAUFA ATOLLS NEARS COMPLETION IN IRAQ

The International Advisory from 22 different countries. A team of six technical special- Committee (IAC) on the Study of Altogether 17 laboratories in 12 ists headed by IAEA Iraq Action the Radiological Conditions at countries — as well as the IAEA's Team Leader Garry Dillon visited the Atolls of Mururoa and Seibersdorf Laboratories in Iraq in mid-December 1997 for Fangataufa held its third and Austria and its Marine technical talks on matters per- final meeting in early February, Environment Laboratory in taining to the Agency's nuclear adopting a report of the study's Monaco — participated in inspections under the mandate findings. The comprehensive, analyses of environmental sam- of UN Security Council resolu- five-volume report is being final- ples that were independently tions. Following the visit, IAEA ized for release and presentation collected during a sampling and Director General Mohamed in the South Pacific region in the surveillance campaign in July ElBaradei submitted a report to spring. 1996. the UN Secretary General for The study was launched in Results of the study will be onward transmission to the 1996 under the guidance and presented and discussed at the Security Council. direction of the IAC, which is IAEA's International Conference The purpose of the December chaired by Ms. Gail de Planque of on the Radiological Situation at visit was to seek clarification of a the United States. The the Atolls of Mururoa and number of matters so as to pro- Committee includes distin- Fangataufa being convened in vide further assurance that the guished scientists from ten Vienna from 30 June to 3 July technically coherent picture of countries and ex officio repre- 1998. The purpose of the con- Iraq's clandestine nuclear pro- sentatives of the South Pacific ference is to allow the scientific gramme is comprehensive and Forum, the United Nations bases of the study to be exam- to tailor IAEA ongoing monitor- Scientific Committee on the ined, and to stimulate discussion ing and verification (OMV) activ- Effects of Atomic Radiation, the of the radiation protection prin- ities appropriately. World Health Organization, and ciples governing the evaluation The matters discussed with the the European Commission. of remediation of former nuclear Iraqi counterpart involved: Iraq's Requested by the Government sites. post war procurement proce- of France, the study is being —More information may be dures; Iraq's production of a doc- coordinated by the IAEA and has obtained from the IAEA involved directly 55 scientists Department of Nuclear Safety. continued on page 4

January/February 1998, Vol. 13, No. 1 (78) NEW LABORATORY SET FOR SEIBERSDORF NUCLEAR INSPECTIONS IN IRAQ (continued from page 3) Work has started to build a new world, will require suitable labo- laboratory at the IAEA's site in ratory facilities and adequately ument summarizing the techni- Seibersdorf nearVienna.The new trained personnel to monitor the cal achievements of their clan- Laboratory will serve as a wide range of potential chemical destine nuclear programme; Training and Reference Centre and microbiological food conta- offers of external assistance to for the Food and Pesticide minants. Moreover, the produc- Iraq's clandestine nuclear pro- Control activities run jointly by tion of safe food cannot be gramme;the motivation behind IAEA and the UN Food and achieved without the strict con- the actions attributed to the late Agriculture Organization (FAO) of trol of its quality, as well as the Lt. General Hussein Kamel in the United Nations. use of pesticides and veterinary retaining and concealing docu- The need for this new Centre drugs.The new Centre will help mentation and material from arises from the requirement of strengthen the analytical capa- Iraq's clandestine nuclear pro- IAEA and FAO Member States to bilities of Member States to con- gramme; and the existence of implement national legislation trol food quality and safety and the so-called "Governmental and trade agreements ensuring to implement appropriate qual- Committee"whose declared task the quality and safety of food in ity assurance and control sys- was inter alia, "to reduce the international trade. In the years tems in national testing effect of NPT violation to the to come, even more global coop- laboratories. minimum" eration will be needed to tackle Construction of the new labo- The results of the discussions issues such as food security and ratory has started thanks to con- are summarized in the report quality in international trade.The tributions from Austria and to the Security Council. A num- new centre will serve as one step Sweden, as well as a significant ber of topics related to the in this direction by addressing contribution from FAO. It is Agency's OMV activities were concerns about the presence of expected that additional donor discussed, as well as the IAEA's pesticide residues, veterinary funds will be forthcoming to need to use fixed-wing aircraft drugs, microbial contamination, help the Centre to fulfill its for technical and logistical pur- natural toxins, heavy metals and mission. poses. In this latter regard, Iraq's radioactive contaminants in food —More information may be Deputy Prime Minister Mr.Tariq traded internationally. obtained from the IAEA Aziz indicated that Iraq would Member States, especially Department of Research and have no objection to the use of those from the developing Isotopes. fixed-wing aircraft for technical functions such as aerial radia- tion survey.The status of Iraq's VIENNA LIBRARY RECEIVES IAEA COLLECTION "full, final and complete decla- Vienna's Central Library for Austrian Federal Ministry of ration" was also discussed and Physics ("Zentralbibliothekfuer Science and Transport. The it was agreed that Iraq would Physik") has received a complete donated collection is worth over reissue the document incorpo- set of nuclear non-conventional US $3.5 million. It will be avail- rating the additions and revi- literature on microfiche from the able for use within Austria and sions resulting from discussions IAEA. The collection consists of updated on a quarterly basis. held in February, May, and July over 360,000 reports on the A formal ceremony was held at 1997. peaceful uses of nuclear science the Palais Dietrichstein in Vienna The IAEA is currently focusing and technology submitted since on 10 December 1997, at which most of its resources on the 1970 by Member States to the the State Secretary of the implementation and strength- Agency's International Nuclear Austrian Foreign Ministry, Ms. ening of its plan for ongoing Information System (lNIS),a fully Bettina Ferrero-Waldner, accept- monitoring and verification. indexed database now available ed the gift in the presence of the Nonetheless, it will continue to both on CD-ROM and via sever- Director of the Zentralbibliothek, exercise its right to investigate al on-line systems.The Agency Dr. Wolfgang Kerber, and Mr. any aspect of Iraq's clandestine made the presentation on the Victor Mourogov, IAEA Deputy nuclear programme and will occasion of its 40th anniversary Director General and Head of the give high priority to the investi- in recognition of its long-stand- Agency's Department of Nuclear gation of any indication of direct ing relationship with the Energy.—For more information, acquisition of weapon-usable Zentralbibliothek. It was accept- contact the IAEA Department of nuclear material or nuclear ed with the agreement of the Nuclear Energy. weapon-related technology.

January/February 1998, Vol. 13, No. 1 (78) DEVELOPING AFRICA'S AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIES

Now that the tsetse fly - and its Direct losses from bovine try- The tsetse eradication campaign associated health threats - have panosomosis in Africa are esti- in Zanzibar has paved the way for been eradicated from Zanzibar, mated to range from US $600 stronger agricultural develop- the island is taking steps to more million to $1.2 billion per year. ment. Besides the IAEA and gov- fully develop its agricultural econ- The Ethiopian government and ernment of Tanzania, the omy. Experts confirmed in late the IAEA already have launched campaign involved support from 1997 that the island is free of the the initial phase of a tsetse erad- the Food and Agriculture tsetse fly following an extensive ication programme targeted ulti- Organization (FAO) of the United pest management campaign sup- mately to free about 25,000 Nations, the International Fund for ported by the IAEA in cooperation square kilometers of productive Agricultural Development (IFAD) with Tanzania and an interna- land in its Southern Rift Valley. and Belgium, Canada, China, tional partnership of States and In Zanzibar, plans are to devel- Sweden, the UK.and USA. organizations. The final weapon op lands once infested with For the SIT component of the was the Sterile Insect Technique tsetse flies for integrated dairy campaign, tsetse mass-breeding (SIT), a radiation-based biological farming and cropping systems, technology and procedures pest control method. steps that involve technologies developed by the joint FAO/IAEA The campaign's success in and skills the island lacks. In late Agriculture and Biotechnology Zanzibar has fueled plans in oth- 1997, the IAEA sent a mission to Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria, er African countries to apply SIT Tanzania to map out country- were transferred to the Tsetse in eradication campaigns against wide assistance plans over the and Trypanosomosis Research the tsetse fly.Twenty-two species near term, within the framework Institute in Tanga,Tanzania.The of tsetse fly are known to infest of the Agency's technical coop- Institute has built the largest 36 countries over an area of 10 eration programme. A new tech- tsetse rearing facility in the world million square kilometers in sub- nical cooperation project is from which to launch SIT cam- Saharan Africa.They devastate being developed for Zanzibar paigns.—More information may livestock herds by transmitting that focuses on the application be obtained from the IAEA the parasitic disease called try- of nuclear and isotopic tools for Department of Technical panosomosis and spread "sleep- improving crop and livestock Cooperation and Department of ing sickness" among people. production. Research and Isotopes.

MARINE SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO NORTHWEST PACIFIC

IAEA scientists at the Marine the expedition.The 15-member international surveys so that pos- Environment Laboratory (MEL) in international team conducted sible contributions from former Monaco are analyzing samples the mission aboard the leased radioactive waste dump sites in collected during a major scien- Japanese research vessel Bosei the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic tific expedition to the northwest Maru. The team included scien- Oceans can be reviewed. Pacific Ocean. Scientists from five tists from Japan, whose Science The main equipment for sam- countries and MEL last year sam- and Technology Agency is finan- pling seawater was a Rosette sys- pled seawater at ten sites in the cially supporting the project, tem and a large volume water northwest Pacific Ocean as part , Republic of Korea, sampler with 500 liter contain- of studies to survey and assess India,Sweden, and MEL. ers. A special system was used for levels of marine radioactivity. The expedition is part of a five- the measurement of seawater During the scientific expedition year IAEA research project on conductivity, temperature, and 20 October-21 November 1997, Worldwide Marine Radioactivity density,and special devices were seawater (about 300 samples), Monitoring. It aims to improve used to sample and analyze col- biota (about 50 samples) and understanding of the present lected sediments. Biota were sediment (about 200 samples) open ocean distribution of sampled using plankton nets were collected at depths of up to radionuclides, to quantify the and fishing equipment. All the 7000 meters over the four-week contribution of different sources necessary equipment was sup- period. Large water samples (500 which have introduced radioac- plied by MEL and participating liters each) were pretreated dur- tivity to the world's oceans, and institutes. For more information, ing the mission to minimize the to provide new data on marine contact the IAEA-MEL, fax +37-7- amount that had to be shipped radioactivity. The data will be 9205-7744; or by e-mail at back to Monaco for analysis after compared with that from other [email protected]

January/February 1998, Vol. 13, No. 1 (78) EXPERTS TARGET RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT NEEDS IN RUSSIA

A group of experts reviewing two observers from Japan and curies has been stored. Of 120 radioactive waste management the Nordic Environmental nuclear submarines taken out of problems in Russia has targeted Finance Corporation. operation,the spent nuclearfuel the country's North-West region Since its inception, the CEG has: has been unloaded from only 42. as a top priority for global coop- • established a database of In 1997, a total of about 150 erative projects. The region has cooperative projects containing nuclear submarines were listed one of the highest concentra- detailed information on some 160 as out of operation. tions in the world of nuclear reac- projects that have been At meetings in 1997, the CEG tors, spent fuel, and radioactive suggested, negotiated or started reviewed reports by the Russian waste. The CEG informed the under 19 major topics by countries Federation ministries, institutes IAEA in December 1997 of major and international organizations and organizations and the results problems being faced, including participating in the CEG; of a number of specialized stud- the availability of funds, in efforts • discussed in detail the waste ies sponsored by CEG members. to improve the situation. management situation in the The Group then decided that it The report was made by the most pressing fields and regions should immediately make the Contact Expert Group (CEG) for and elaborated conclusions and situation in the North-West International Co-operation in recommendations; region the focus of international Radioactive Waste Management • prioritized, with the Russian co-operation with the Russian with the Russian Federation, Federation ministries involved, Federation. A background docu- which was set up in May 1996 the most important projects, to ment prepared by the CEG was under auspices of the IAEA.The help concentrate efforts and forwarded to the IAEA Director CEG includes experts from financing. General in December 1997, and twelve countries and organiza- The Group has reported that subsequently transmitted for tions — Belgium, France, radioactive waste accumulated information to the Agency's Finland, Germany, Norway, in the Russian Federation by Board of Governors. Russian Federation, Sweden, UK, 1995 amounted to more than The Group's next meeting is USA, the European Union, the half a billion cubic meters with planned in late April 1998.— International Institute for an activity of about two billion More information may be Applied Systems Analysis, and curies. In addition around 8500 obtained from the CEG Secretariat, the International Science and tonnes of spent nuclear fuel with Room A2607, at IAEA headquar- Technology Center — as well as an activity of around four billion ters in Vienna.

STATES MOVE TO ACCEPT SAFEGUARDS PROTOCOL IN MEMORIAM More States are moving towards Board approved the Additional The international community accepting the Additional Protocol Protocol for Lithuania, whose for- paid tribute in January to the to IAEA safeguards agreements. mal signature is forthcoming. life of Richard Kennedy, who The Protocol was adopted by the In mid-February, a delegation long served as US Ambassador- IAEA Board of Governors in May from the European Union (EU) at-Large for Nuclear Affairs and 1997 and incorporates measures met with IAEA officials in Vienna as the US Representative to the that provide Agency safeguards to carry out the first stage of IAEA and Governor on the inspectors with broader legal consultations on the text of the Agency's Board of Governors. rights of access to information Additional Protocols to the Ambassador Kennedy passed and sites. three existing safeguards agree- away 12 January 1998 in States that have signed ments between the EU Member Washington, DC, at the age of Additional Protocols as of 15 States, European Atomic Energy 78. His distinguished career as February 1998 are Australia, Community (Euratom), and the a statesman included service to Armenia (where it already is IAEA. Previous talks on the sub- five US Presidents through var- being provisionally applied), ject were held in December ious high-level positions. He Georgia, the Philippines, Poland, 1997 in .—More played a leading role in efforts and Uruguay. Australia became information may be obtained to strengthen the IAEA's pro- the first State to ratify the from the IAEA Department of grammes in the fields of safe- Protocol (on 12 December 1997). Safeguards and Division of guards and nuclear safety. Also in December 1997,the IAEA External Relations.

6 January/February 1998, Vol. 13, No. 1 (78) MORE STATES SIGN 1998 IAEA SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS SAFETY CONVENTIONS Ten scientific conferences and symposia,and three scientific In January 1998, Norway seminars, will be convened by the International Atomic Energy became the first State to ratify Agency (IAEA) in 1998. They are: the recently adopted Joint Convention on the Safety of • International Symposium Bratislava, Slovakia Spent Fuel Management and on on Modern Trends in 28 September -2 October the Safety of Radioactive Waste Radiopharmaceuticals for • International Symposium Management. Norway's ratifi- Diagnosis and Therapy on Marine Pollution cation was deposited with the Lisbon, Portugal Monaco, 5-9 October IAEA on 12 January 1998. 30 March-3 April • International Seminar on Altogether 29 States have • FAO/IAEA International Nuclear Power in Developing signed the Convention since it Conference on Area-Wide Countries: Its Potential Role opened for signature in Control of Insect Pests and the Strategies for its September 1997. Recent signa- Integrating the Sterile Deployment tories include Argentina (19 Insect and Related Nuclear Mumbai, India December 1997); Belgium (8 and Other Techniques 12-16 October December 1997); Denmark (9 Penang, Malaysia • 17th IAEA Fusion Energy February 1998); Greece (9 28 May-2 June Conference, February 1998); and Italy (26 • International Conference Yokohama, Japan January 1998). The Convention on the Radiological 19-24 October obligates its Parties to take Situation at the Atolls of • International Symposium appropriate national measures Mururoa and Fangataufa on Techniques for High-Dose to ensure the safety of spent Vienna, Austria Dosimetry in Industry, fuel and radioactive waste man- 30June-3July Agriculture and Medicine agement, and to report on the • International Conference Vienna, Austria measures regularly at peer on Topical Issues in Nuclear, 2-5 November review meetings. Radiation and Radioactive • International Symposium More States also have signed Waste Safety Vienna, Austria on Storage of Spent Fuel two new legal instruments in 31 August to 4 September from Power Reactors the field of nuclear liability that • International Conference Vienna, Austria were adopted in September on the Safety of Radiation 9-13 November 1997. The Protocol to Amend Sources and the Security of • International Symposium the Vienna Convention on Civil Radioactive Materials on Evolutionary Liability for Nuclear Damage Dijon, France Water-Cooled Reactors: has been signed by 10 coun- 14-18 September Strategic Issues,Technologies tries, as of 15 February 1998 • Regional Seminar on and Economic Viability (Argentina, Hungary, Indonesia, Approaches and Practices in Seoul, Republic of Korea Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Strengthening Nuclear 30 November - 4 December Morocco, Poland, Romania, and Safety, Radiation Protection • International Seminar on Ukraine). Additionally, the and Waste Management Safeguards Information Convention on Supplementary Infrastructure in Countries Reporting and Processing Compensation for Nuclear of Eastern Europe and the Vienna, Austria Damage has been signed by 10 Former USSR 30 November - 4 December countries (Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Lebanon, Information is subject to change. More current information may be obtained from Lithuania, Morocco, Romania, the appropriate national authorities in Member States, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Atomic Energy Commission, or by writing directly Ukraine, and United States).— to the IAEA, P.O. Box 100, Vienna International Centre, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. For updated listings of the status Meetings listings also are accessible over the IAEA's WorldAtom Internet Services at of Conventions under IAEA aus- bttpj/www.iaea.org pices, as well as other legal Participants are designated either by the Government of an IAEA Member State or instruments related to the the co-sponsoring organization, or by an international organization invited to participate. If individuals wish to attend, they are admitted only as observers. All Agency's work, visit the IAEA's meetings are open to the press. Major IAEA meetings usually result in the WorldAtom Internet services on publication of summary outcomes, key issues papers and/or proceedings. Requests the World Wide Web. The address for publications should be sent directly to the Division of Publications, IAEA, Vienna, is http://www.iaea.org. or can be obtained from the designs sales agents in Member States.

January/February 1998, Vol. 13, No. 1 (78) BRIEFLY NOTED...

• The IAEA broke new ground late last year Glance — is a 32-page overview of the Agency's when it started inspections in the United States major activities within the context of international that for the first time enable the Agency to safety and security challenges. A third booklet — independently verify the conversion for Radiation, Health and Society — is a 56-page report exclusively peaceful uses of weapons-usable providing a factual overview of radiation risks and nuclear material released from the military sector. benefits, including what's known about the health Verification activities are being conducted at the effects of radiation exposure. More information Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant of the US about these booklets may be obtained from the Department of Energy. In making the IAEA Division of Public Information. Also issued announcement in December 1997, US Secretary of recently was a 16-page booklet — Physics Activities Energy Federico Peiia stated that "IAEA monitoring of the IAEA - that covers work related to nuclear provides confidence to the international community instrumentation, nuclear fusion research, the use of that nuclear reductions are moving forward and will research reactors and accelerators, and technical be irreversible." • Several new booklets have assistance. More information may be obtained from been issued by the Agency. The IAEA's Safeguards the IAEA Physics Section, Department of Research System: Ready for the highlights and Isotopes. • Global Cooperation in Nuclear developments to strengthen the system, which Fusion on the Internet. The latest information verifies the exclusively peaceful uses of nuclear about cooperative global efforts in fusion energy energy. In a question and answer format, the 24- development is now accessible over the World Wide page booklet places the system's evolution into the Web. The International Thermonuclear Experimental context of international developments. More in- Reactor (ITER) Web site — at http://www.iter.org — depth articles on topical aspects of the Agency's presents updates on the ITER project and features Strengthened Safeguards System are featured in the links to the many organizations and institutions latest edition of the IAEA Bulletin, accessible on line participating in its research activities. More through the Agency's WorldAtom Internet services at information may be obtained from the IAEA's http://www.iaea.org. Another booklet— IAEA-At a Department of Research and Isotopes.

NEW IAEA BOOKS

IAEA sales publications recently issued include: political, governmental, economic, financial, tech- • Nuclear Desalination of Seawater, proceedings nical, and safety issues associated with planning of the IAEA's international symposium in May 1997 and implementing a nuclear power programme. in Taejon, Republic of Korea. The meeting focused on the exchange of technological experience Publications recently sent to press include: among countries both with respect to the design • Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Reactor Strategies: and development of nuclear desalination systems Adjusting to New Realities, proceedings of the and the prospects for their practical application. IAEA symposium in June 1997 that examined ener- • Harmonization of Health-Related Environ- gy issues and topics related to the use of nuclear mental Measurements using Nuclear and powe, including the management of plutonium, Isotopic Techniques, proceedings of the IAEA sym- and the safety, health and environmental implica- posium in November 1996 organized in coopera- tions of different fuel cycle options. tion with India's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The meeting examined relationships between envi- Information about these books and other IAEA sales ronmental pollutants and health and exchanged publications may be obtained from the Agency's the latest information on the application of nuclear Division of Publications (Email: sales.publica- and isotopic techniques in associated research. [email protected]) A comprehensive listing of Agency • Choosing the Nuclear Power Option: Factors publications is accessible via the Agency's WorldAtom to be Considered, a policy-oriented overview of Internet services at http://www.iaea.org

IAEA Newsbrieh is published regularly by the Division ofPublic Information ofthe International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O.Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. Telephone: +43-1 -2060-0 Facsimile: +43-1-2060-29610 E-mail: [email protected]. IAEA Newsbrieh is published for information purposes only and is not an official record. Items may be extracted or reprinted provided acknowledgement of the source is made. An electronic edition of IAEA Newsbrieh is on- line through the IAEA's WorldAtom Internet services on the Worldwide Web at the address http://www.iaea.org/worldatom/inforesource/newsbriefs.

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