International Conference on a Decade of Progress after Fukushima-Daiichi: Building on the Lessons Learned to Further Strengthen Nuclear Safety

The Conference is envisioned to be in-person, with the possibility of remote connection. Details on remote connection will be provided at a later time.

Background

The IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre received information from the International Seismic Safety Centre at approximately 08:15 CET the morning of 11 March 2011 concerning an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. What would follow was a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (herein referred to as the accident). The Agency would send an offer of Good Offices to Japan and closely monitor the situation. Ultimately, the accident received a Level 7 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale and resulted in a series of safety improvements globally.

For its part, the IAEA would go on to develop the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, endorsed by IAEA Member States in September 2011, which defined a programme of work to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework in response to the accident. The plan outlined actions to strengthen safety in 12 areas: safety assessment of nuclear power plants; IAEA peer reviews; emergency preparedness and response; national regulatory bodies; operating organizations; IAEA safety standards; the international legal framework; Member States planning to embark on a nuclear power programme; capacity building; protection of people and the environment from ionizing radiation; communication and information dissemination; and research and development.

As part of the work under the Action Plan, Member States introduced measures to enhance nuclear safety, including those taken in response to the results of assessments of nuclear power plants' vulnerability to extreme external events.

The IAEA's work under the Action Plan included strengthening relevant safety standards and peer review services and enhancing efforts to assist Member States in building capacity for safety. The Agency also held nine international experts' meetings that analysed technical aspects of the accident such that lessons could be learned. In addition, the IAEA conducted 15 international expert missions to Japan and published the reports.

Work to implement the Action Plan went on to form part of the Fukushima Daiichi Accident Report by the Director General and its five accompanying Technical Volumes. These reports, released at the 2015 IAEA General Conference, addressed the accident's causes and consequences and aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of what happened and why. Five working groups with approximately 180 experts from 42 Member States and several international bodies collaborated on the report.

In addition to the Action Plan, a great deal of work has been conducted worldwide to strengthen nuclear safety. Many parties across the globe demonstrated their commitment to enhance nuclear safety. Through initiatives such as the Action Plan, the European Stress Test, the adoption of the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety in accordance with the objectives of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, as well as the multitude of national and regional initiatives, many safety improvements have been developed and implemented.

Objectives

The conference will focus on looking back on the lessons learned, experiences shared, results, and achievements from actions undertaken by national, regional, and international communities following the accident and identifying ways for further strengthening nuclear safety. 

Pursuing these objectives, the Conference will gather internationally recognized high-level safety experts and other leaders to discuss initiatives taken in the aftermath of the accident, and initiatives for further strengthening nuclear safety.

Topics and Discussion Panels

The programme will be comprised of high-level policy and technical discussions on the overall themes central to the Conference. Furthermore, the programme structure has been developed using technical sessions augmented by dynamic narrative panels. This approach ensures that the Conference covers technical content while still driving the interest of all participants and providing opportunities for comments and feedback.

The Conference will cover topics such as:

• Ensuring the safe generation of nuclear power;

• Emergency preparedness and response;

• Radiation safety;

• Post-accident recovery;

• International cooperation;

• Leadership and management for safety;

• Communication and trust building;

• International legal instruments for safety;

• Facing new challenges;

• Safety for nuclear power development.

Target Audience and Working Language

The Conference is aimed at a high-level audience of regulators and operators of nuclear installations, diplomats, representatives of governments, academia, technical support organizations (TSO), and industry.

The working language of the conference will be English.

Programme Structure and Technical Sessions

The conference will consist of three parts:

• Part I - International Perspective;

• Part II - Learning Lessons;

• Part III - Path Forward.

The opening session will consist of opening addresses followed by a keynote panel.

The technical sessions will provide specific success stories for the given topical areas provided in Section C and highlight ongoing initiatives to strengthen nuclear safety. After the discussions in the technical sessions, conclusions and recommendations will be drawn up.

Each technical session will consist of:

• Opening of the session by the Chairperson(s);

• Presentations to cover the topical issues specified; and

• Time for answers to questions posed by participants.

Discussion panels will focus on crosscutting strategic considerations, global challenges, as well as actions to further enhance nuclear and radiation safety.   

The closing session will provide the opportunity for the President of the Conference to present the summary and conclusions of the conference, including visions and strategies for the future.

Speakers, Panellists and Proceedings

There will be no call for contributed papers at the Conference nor will there be any poster sessions. All speakers at technical sessions and panellists at discussion panels will be invited by the IAEA following consultation with a Special Exerts Committee. Speakers and panellists will be high-level senior experts in their fields. The Conference proceedings will be published by the IAEA online as soon as possible after the Conference.

Participation and Registration

All persons wishing to participate in the conference must be designated by an IAEA Member State or be members of organizations that have been invited to attend. The list of invited organizations can be found under the related resources section of this webpage.

In order to be designated by an IAEA Member State, participants are requested to register for this event through the InTouch+ Platform as per section H of the conference announcement.

In the event that registration through InTouch+ is not possible, paticipants should send the following forms (as applicable) to their competent national authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission to the IAEA or National Atomic Energy Authority):

• Participation Form (Form A): participation only; no deadline if only Form A is submitted; and

• Grant Application Form (Form C): participants requesting financial support from the IAEA, must complete Form C and send it together with Form A to the competent national authority for transmission to the IAEA by the given deadline. Form C must be stamped and signed by the competent national authority.

Participants who are members of an organization invited to attend are requested to send the above form(s) through their organization to the IAEA.

Participants who register in accordance with the above procedures will receive from the IAEA further information in advance of the Conference.

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 event. The IAEA has, however, limited funds at its disposal to help meet the cost of attendance of certain participants. Upon specific request, such assistance may be offered to normally one participant per country, provided that, in the IAEA’s view, the participant will make an important contribution to the event. Governments should ensure that applications for grants are:

1. Submitted by 31 July 2021

2. Accompanied by a duly completed Grant Application Form (Form C) signed and stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the National Atomic Energy Authority; 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.

Key Deadlines and Dates

• 31 July 2021: Deadline for submission of Grant Application Form (Form C, together with Form A) through the competent national authority.
• No deadline: Registration only with Form A (no grant request).

Greening

To demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, the IAEA will organize this conference as a 'green meeting' according to the guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel.

There will be a focus on the areas of paper smart documentation, waste reduction and recycling, and environmentally friendly catering.

Conference app

The IAEA Conferences and Meetings App provides a one-stop access to information on the Conference and  exhibitions. The app also allows users to put together their own personalized schedule of events. Via this app participants will be able to view contributed papers and the latest conference programme, message other participants, and view PowerPoint presentations released after the event. Participants will receive an email inviting them to register for the app approximately one week before the conference.

For iPhone or iPad users, get your free download through the Apple iTunes Store; those with Android devices can visit the Google Play Store.