IEC Information Bulletin, No. 42, Fourth Quarter 2012

The Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, organized by Japan in co-sponsorship with the IAEA, was held from 15 to 17 December 2012 in the Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. This Conference provided yet another opportunity to share with the international community, at the ministerial and expert levels, further knowledge and lessons learned from the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (the Fukushima Daiichi accident) and to further enhance transparency. Some 114 countries and 11 international organizations attended the conference. Participants discussed the progress of international efforts aimed at strengthening nuclear safety, including through the implementation of the IAEA Nuclear Safety Action Plan, as well as measures to protect people and the environment from ionizing radiation. In his closing remarks, Denis Flory, the IAEA's Deputy Director General in charge of Nuclear Safety and Security, observed that: 'The Conference has provided a good occasion to reconfirm commitments to nuclear safety,' noting that it had also provided a chance to grasp first-hand the 'unbelievably complex and harsh conditions' in which workers at the plant had to react to the accident and the complexity of the ongoing work there. The Conference concluded with the presentation of Chairperson Summaries from the three expert Working Sessions. During the Conference IAEA Director General, Yukiya Amano, and the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Yuhei Sato, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation confirming their willingness to implement concrete projects to help alleviate the consequences of the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The Memorandum includes arrangements to promote cooperation in two key areas, namely: (i) radiation monitoring and remediation between the IAEA and Fukushima Prefecture, and (ii) human health between the IAEA and Fukushima Medical University. The Memorandum also highlights plans for a training centre in Fukushima Prefecture to help reinforce emergency preparedness and response activities, supported by the Government of Japan and Fukushima Prefecture. An IAEA Response and Assistance Network (RANET) Capacity Building Centre will be designated, with IAEA radiation monitoring equipment to be deployed in case of need, and where the IAEA will provide training in emergency preparedness and response in Japan and the Asia Pacific region.