The International Atomic Energy Agency will hold a press briefing tomorrow to provide background information on the 5th Review Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) to be held 4 - 14 April 2011 in Vienna. The briefing will begin at 08:30 UTC/10:30 CEST on Thursday, 31 March 2011, in the Press Room of the M-Building, in the Vienna International Centre (VIC).

To enhance nuclear safety following the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear accidents, the Convention entered into force on 24 October 1996. Its objectives are to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide, to establish and maintain effective defences in nuclear installations against potential radiological hazards, and to prevent accidents having radiological consequences.

There are 72 Contracting Parties to the Convention, and all countries with operating nuclear power plants are now Parties to the Convention.

At Thursday's briefing, senior IAEA officials will describe the role and significance of the Convention. As this is a background briefing intended to help media understanding, no attribution will be allowed, nor any audio or video recordings for broadcast. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Accreditation

Journalists with permanent accreditation to the VIC need no further credentials. We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation, to request it at: UNIS Vienna. All others must seek accreditation by contacting the IAEA Press Office, tel. [43-1] 2600-21279 or [43-1] 2600-21273.