The Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) will begin meeting in Vienna on 9 February 2015 to consider a proposal by Switzerland to amend Article 18 of the CNS related to the design and construction of a nuclear installation.

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who is the depositary of the CNS, will convene the Diplomatic Conference at the IAEA headquarters.

The CNS, which entered into force on 24 October 1996, currently has 77 Contracting Parties. The objective of the CNS is to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide through the enhancement of national measures and international cooperation. The obligations for Contracting Parties under the CNS include submitting national reports on the implementation of their obligations under the CNS for "peer review" in meetings held every three years. The last review meeting took place in Vienna from 24 March to 4 April 2014, with more than 800 participants from 69 Contracting Parties attending.

More information about the CNS, including links to national reports, may be found here.

Press Opportunities:

• The Diplomatic Conference is open to the Contracting Parties only.
• The President of the Diplomatic Conference will brief members of the media at the end of the Conference at a time yet to be determined. Journalists are requested to contact the IAEA Press Office for details.

Journalists with permanent accreditation to the VIC need no further credentials to attend the briefing. Journalists who would like to obtain permanent accreditation should request it at UNIS Vienna. All others must seek accreditation by contacting the IAEA Press Office.