Operations Manual for Incident and Emergency Communication. Date Effective: 20 February 2020

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) are the primary legal instruments that establish an international framework to facilitate the exchange of information and the prompt provision of assistance in the event of a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency, regardless of its origin, with the aim of minimizing the consequences. The IAEA has specific functions assigned to it under these Conventions. The arrangements provided between the IAEA Secretariat, IAEA Member States and/or Parties to one or both Conventions, relevant international intergovernmental organizations (hereinafter referred to as 'international organizations') and other States for facilitating the implementation of these Conventions — specifically concerning those articles that are operational in nature — are documented in the Operations Manual for Incident and Emergency Communication (EPR–IEComm). EPR–IEComm is the successor to the Emergency Notification and Assistance Technical Operations Manual (ENATOM), first issued on 18 January 1989. Since then, Member States, Parties to the Early Notification Convention and the Assistance Convention, relevant international organizations and other States have regularly received updates of the manual. EPR–IEComm covers the communication arrangements for points of contact identified under the Early Notification Convention and the Assistance Convention as well as the designated National Officers of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). Points of Contact, central authorities or Competent Authorities (CAs) identified under other relevant conventions under the auspices of the IAEA may also be guided by the communications arrangements for nuclear or radiological incident and emergency communication covered by IEComm. Since the last edition of EPR–IEComm was issued in 2012, several developments have warranted some modifications to the existing arrangements, such as: changes due to the lessons identified in exchanging information during incidents, emergencies and exercises; lessons identified in responding to requests for information and assistance; updates to the Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE); and revision of the Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations (JPLAN).